Sony’s Xperia XZ1 gets most everything right

I’m excited about a Sony phone, but that shouldn’t surprise you.

There are so many phones launching this quarter, it’s difficult to keep up. In the U.S., Sony’s phones generally get announced and go on sale with little fanfare, largely because they lack carrier backing. This is true of the Xperia XZ1, which is available on Amazon right now for $650, and its smaller Xperia XZ1 Compact counterpart.

Here in Canada, things are a little different: for the XZ1, Sony has the support of the country’s second-largest carrier, Bell as well as upstart Freedom Mobile. The result is a wider net of potential customers and, mercifully, a lower price on subsidy to offset Sony’s traditionally high prices. Oh, and it also has a fingerprint sensor.

Canadians can buy the Xperia XZ1 at a carrier, and use its fingerprint sensor. Jealous?

The Xperia XZ1 is the company’s best phone in years, and finds the company performing at its peak, with few real compromises compared to other flagships on the market, for the first time since 2014 or so. Though the company has frequently brought out great products — everything from the Xperia Z line was, while flawed, pretty reliable — it faltered slightly with the Xperia X series, and only slightly recovered with 2016’s XZ.

In truth, the Xperia XZ1 does little to further Sony’s industrial design, and it doesn’t completely resolve its most endemic problem — a camera experience that pales in comparison to leaders like Google, Samsung, Apple, and HTC. Instead, it gets the Japanese company closer than ever to those lofty heights, while providing Sony’s famously good battery life, exceptional build quality, and stable software.

The whole package

Sony often gets criticized for the glacial pace of its design evolution, but I am content with the subtle ways Sony continues to improve its phones. The Xperia XZ1, for instance, is the perfect size for one-handed use; its 5.2-inch LCD display is quite good, even at its comparatively low 1080p resolution; its audio capabilities are impressive, and work seamlessly; and as Andrew remarked in his review, the phone’s camera is demonstrably better than any Sony phone to date — even using the same hardware as its larger XZ Premium counterpart.

Then there’s something else — a thing I can’t quite put my finger on, but it’s there nonetheless. It’s a kinship with a piece of technology that rarely happens as quickly as it did here. Perhaps it’s the perfectly-placed, 100% reliable fingerprint sensor (sorry, Americans) or the two-stage shutter button that, now, actually produces great photos. Or perhaps it’s the fact that it ships with Android 8.0 Oreo, the first on a non-Google phone.

After the honeymoon

Here’s my issue with the narrative about flagships today — their first impression is given more weight than their long-term usability. The Xperia XZ1 has just come out, but I have only had good experiences with Sony phones in the months and years since their release and have no reason to think differently about this one.

That’s because Sony doesn’t encumber its software with useless apps, nor does it generally feel weighed down by the stagnating Android skin it’s so often criticized for not updating. Yes, Sony’s app drawer scrolls horizontally and requires some awkward finger maneuvering to put an app on the home screen, but if that’s the biggest criticism one can levy at it, I think it’s in pretty good shape.

Who cares if the launcher feels old-fashioned when it’s the first phone running the latest Android version?

Such an affordance to consistency between generations also affords Sony the ability to iterate on its platform updates more quickly than other companies; who cares if the launcher feels old-fashioned when it’s the first phone running the latest Android version? Seriously, the latter is far more important to me — especially when it forgoes much of the instability and bugginess that I experienced on the Pixels. It’s not perfect, mind you, but I’ve only been forced to close an app or restart the phone a couple of times.

This is a phone that, were I forced to settle down with a single device for a year, I could happily keep in my pocket. Its size, weight, build quality, water resistance, dual front-facing speakers, audio prowess, camera shutter button, performance, and up-to-date software are points in its favor. And its “boring” design, its utilitarianism, happens to be one, too: phones are meant to be used, not admired.

The bezel problem

Sony phones have bezels. They’re ugly. Their designs are not in the same league as those from Samsung, LG — even Google.

I mean, sure. This is not the most modern phone you can buy, not by a long shot. If you’re a screen-to-body ratio absolutist, you should probably stay as far from the the Xperia XZ1 (and the Pixel 2, for that matter) as possible. But in this case bezels are useful — holding the phone in landscape in one hand and pressing the shutter button requires pressing one’s palm into the bottom portion below the screen. Were that area filled with pixels, it would almost certainly make the shutter button less usable.

The bezel problem is also emblematic of the XZ1’s other minor issues: the camera isn’t great in low light, and the stereo speakers aren’t as loud as some of the competition. Indeed, the 2700mAh battery doesn’t outlast all the competition (though it handily beats the Galaxy S8, which has a larger cell), and the aluminum back is occasionally slippery.

These are all issues I grew to accept in a short amount of time, but they may be dealbreakers for you. That’s fine — don’t buy the phone.

The camera performs

I’m not going to rehash what Andrew wrote about the phone in his effusive piece on the Xperia XZ1’s camera, but I’ll say this: I haven’t felt this comfortable just shooting with a Sony phone in a very long time.

In years past, Sony was its own worst enemy, with superlative camera hardware let down by awful post-processing. This year, things are considerably better, with warm and inviting colors, instant and accurate autofocus, and low-light performance that, while not always awesome, is much better than in previous models.

Of course, I haven’t mentioned the 3D Creator software — the gimmick that scans your head, or a sandwich, and models it in full 3D. When I tested the phone, it was a neat trick, but since actually getting the phone I haven’t once opened the app and likely never will.

A sound choice

In addition to very good imaging, Sony’s latest phone, as its previous ones did, emphasizes audio quality. It lacks the high-output amplifier and DAC of the LG V30, but Sony makes up for it somewhat we support for a number of impressive proprietary and standard codecs that purport to make streaming audio sound better from any set of headphones.

This bears true. Every headphone I tested, Bluetooth or wired, on the phone sounded great, and Sony’s ClearAudio+ suite of optimizations actually works, dynamically altering the equalizer based on the headphone type connected.

The Sony story

Sony doesn’t make any money from its smartphone division. Its mobile business is largely subsidized by other better-performing areas in the company, namely PlayStation and imaging.

Sony also doesn’t sell its phones in the U.S. on any carriers, and the unlocked versions available on Amazon and elsewhere are basically handicapped. While I think you’d be very happy with a Sony phone in the U.S., your money may be better spent elsewhere.

See at Amazon

In Canada, however, the story is different. You’re back by carrier subsidies at Bell and Freedom Mobile, and the XZ1 ships with that unmatched fingerprint sensor. I used an unlocked Bell model on TELUS and the thing performed beautifully, from phone calls to near-gigabit data speeds. The thing flies. While we don’t know pricing at this point, I see no harm in checking out the Xperia XZ1 when it goes on sale later this month.

This one-day sale brings new low prices to SanDisk microSD cards and more

You can never have too much storage.

Is this deal for me?

SanDisk is one of the most popular brands when it comes to storage accessories like microSD cards and flash drives, and today you can pick up a bunch of these at huge discounts. Amazon’s Gold Box deal of the day includes tons of SanDisk options at pretty large discounts.

Whether you need a new memory card for your phone, tablet, or action camera, or want to be able to carry around more files and media with you on the go, you won’t want to miss out on these discounts. On several products, we are seeing new all-time lows, and others have dropped in price for the first time in quite a while.

MicroSD Cards

• SanDisk Ultra 32GB – $11.19 (Normally $14.49)
• SanDisk Ultra 128GB – $36.99 (Normally $44.99)
• SanDisk Ultra 200GB – $62.99 (Normally $76.99)

Flash Drives

• SanDisk Ultra Fit 64GB USB 3.0 – $15.19 (Normally $18.99)
• SanDisk Ultra Fit 128GB USB 3.0 – $27.99 (Normally $37.99)
• SanDisk Extreme 64GB USB 3.0 – $26.90 (Normally $33.99)
• SanDisk Ultra 128GB Dual Drive – $27.99 (Normally $34.99)
• SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick 256GB – $99.99 (Normally $154.99)

Solid State Drives

• SanDisk Extreme Portable 1TB – $279.99 (Normally $349.99)
• SanDisk iXpand Base 256GB – $129.99 (Normally $149.99)

There are a variety of other products and storage capacities available as well. Be sure to hit the link below to check out the entire sale. B&H Photo has price matched this sale.

TL;DR

• What makes this deal worth considering? – These one-day deals bring great prices on a variety of products. Many of these items are down to new lows and are at the lowest prices we’ve seen them in quite a while.
• Things to know before you buy! – This is a daily deal. That means it is here today and gone tomorrow. Be sure to check out all the options, and stock up on the ones that you need.

See at Amazon

More from Thrifter

• Amazon Prime Student is now available as a $5.49 monthly subscription
• The hottest toys of the upcoming holiday season

For more great deals be sure to check out our friends at Thrifter now!

Have you noticed any lag on the LG V30?

One $800 phone with extra lag, please.

In our initial review of the LG V30, we came away from the phone feeling quite impressed. Our own Alex Dobie praised the V30 for its sleek design, great cameras, high-quality DAC, and buttery smooth performance. However, now that the V30 is available to purchase in the U.S. and customers are starting to get hands-on time with the phone, some conflicting thoughts are starting to pop up.

Although most everyone seems to be onboard with the V30 from a hardware stance, the performance of the software has left some scratching their hands as to whether or not LG’s latest flagship is worth the cash.

Here’s what some users in our forums had to say.

tsquare2112
10-15-2017 08:32 PM

“

very lagy, and a tad buggy too. I will be purchasing the pixel xl2 tomorrow, I got used to fast phones with the pixel XL and oneplus 5. I wanted to like it, but I just cant handle the lag. guess I will return it and keep my upgrade open for something else down the line.

Ive installed nova prime, and turned off annimations via developer options. Neither has helped. Ive even favtory reset the…

Reply

ptm88
10-13-2017 12:20 AM

“

Yes this is true I have the v30 and it got very laggy. Something with the software isn’t right, compared to my Pixel or OP5 it’s not even close in speed. Could be the AT&T bloat and maybe the unlocked version would be fine but idk. I’m going to try a hard reset tomorrow but something tells me it’s LGs software.

Reply

bhatech
10-13-2017 07:43 PM

“

Same here with T-Mobile model, not the smoothest phone I have used recently. Just because of this I can’t wait for my Pixel 2 XL to arrive. I think I will return it to TMobile early next week.

Reply

Running into lag on a brand-new phone is never fun, but thankfully, not everyone seems to be having this issue.

polbit
10-13-2017 04:41 AM

“

I have to say, I played with both 2 XL and V30 yesterday for about an hour at a Verizon store, and did not notice any lag on the V30. I was specifically testing for that too, as I can’t stand lag (returned Note 7 due to lag, before the recall). They were not next to each other, but I went back and forth few times, and couldn’t tell a difference.

Reply

Rumblee1
10-13-2017 11:29 AM

“

I’ve had mine since Monday and it’s all loaded up with my apps. The first couple of days it seemed a bit laggy, but since then, it’s been flying. No lag whatsoever. Break it in.

Reply

If you’ve had any hands-on time with the LG V30, we want to know – have you experienced any lag on the phone?

Join the conversation in the forums!

LG V30

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• Join our LG V30 forums

Huawei Mate 10/10 Pro: Hands-on with the “Intelligent Machine”

In some ways, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are familiar offerings from smartphone giant Huawei. They offer high-capacity batteries, Leica-branded cameras, and a user interface long on features (and short on restraint). But the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro also bring more genuinely exciting stuff to the table than any of their forebears. They’re powered by the Kirin 970 SoC, whose “Neural Network Processing Unit” promises to help the phone take better pictures, predict your actions more quickly, and age more gracefully. They come in a new all-glass design that’s much prettier than the unibody aluminum finish of yesteryear (even if it’s also less durable). And they come packing features that run the gamut from gimmicky desktop emulation to must-have water- and dust-resistance.

So how do they feel to use? Well, I spent about two hours with Huawei’s Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, and came away more excited for these than any prior phone in the Mate line. Join me for the MrMobile first look above, check out Android Central’s in-depth Mate 10 / Mate 10 Pro Hands-On here, and stay tuned for my full Mate 10 Pro review coming soon!

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Huawei doubles down on software with fast Mate 9 Oreo update, monthly security patch goal

Huawei’s software boss confirms Mate 9 Oreo update scheduled for four weeks after the Mate 10 launch. Huawei will target monthly security updates for its new flagships. And the company is already working with Android P.

The newly-announced Huawei Mate 10 ships with Android 8.0 Oreo and the new EMUI 8 interface, but Huawei isn’t limiting its latest software to just the new releases.

At a meeting at Huawei’s headquarters in Shenzhen, China, ahead of today’s Mate 10 announcement, the company’s software boss told Android Central that updating existing handsets to the new versions is also a priority, while also commenting on security updates and the next version of Android, Android P.

Dr. Wang Chenglu, Huawei’s President of Consumer Business Group Software, told AC that Oreo for the Mate 9 will arrive around four weeks after the Mate 10 begins shipping. Assuming the new phone ships within the next month, that should mean unlocked Mate 9s will be upgraded to Oreo before the end of the year.

Dr. Wang confirmed that the Oreo update will bring Google’s Project Treble feature to the older phone, potentially accelerating any further updates. In addition to new features in Oreo, Mate 9 owners can look forward to performance improvements in EMUI 8. The company’s own internal benchmarks showed a small but significant improvement in responsiveness for the Mate 9 going from 7.0 to 8.0, with a score of 85, up from 79. (The Mate 10 scored 89 in the same tests.)

Performance improvements and Project Treble will be coming to the Huawei Mate 9 with Oreo.

As for security updates — arguably more important than Android platform upgrades — Dr. Wang says Huawei will target monthly security patches for its new flagship phones, assisted by Project Treble. That’s a considerable step up from its current pace of quarterly security updates, though Wang framed this as a “target” for the company as opposed to a hard promise to users.

Interestingly, Huawei is also doubling down on co-operation with Google in the next version of the OS. “We have an earlier engagement with Google for [the] Android P version,” Wang told AC. “For the P version, we started engaging with Google more than three months ago [as of late September].”

Huawei’s focus in Android P will involve “not just features and functionality, but also AI ecosystems,” he said, pointing out that by doing this, Huawei could ensure its latest Kirin CPU are best optimised for Google’s Tensorflow Lite library — an important part of helping developers leverage its NPUs (neural processing units) in AI-equipped apps.

All of this is big news for a company that’s historically dragged its heels on OS upgrades for older phones. The usual hurdles, including mobile operator certification, are likely to apply even if Huawei is able to meet its update goals for unlocked devices. Nevertheless, early signs are that the company is finally taking software updates seriously.

Huawei Mate 10

• Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro preview
• Huawei Mate 10 series specs
• Join the discussion in the forums
• More on 2016’s Mate 9

Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro specs

See how Huawei’s two new flagship phones measure up.

The Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are official, bringing Android 8.0 Oreo, a new AI-equipped CPU and a promising dual f/1.6 camera setup. But in addition to the really obvious differences between these two new flagships — like the taller 18:9 aspect ratio of the Pro — there are a handful of other hardware differences worth noting.

Check out the full specs for both the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro below, and be sure to read our hands-on preview when you’re done. Which would you pick? Shout out in the comments!

Huawei Mate 10

• Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro preview
• Huawei Mate 10 series specs
• Join the discussion in the forums
• More on 2016’s Mate 9

Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro announced: AI-focused flagships with dual f/1.6 cameras, giant batteries + Oreo

Huawei unveils two new flagship phones — but only one will be coming to the U.S. and UK.

At a special event in Munich, Germany, Huawei has just taken the wraps off its new flagship smartphones, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro. Following on from last year’s Mate 9, the new model comes in two different flavors: A vanilla Mate 9 with a 5.9-inch 16:9 screen, and a 6-inch Mate 10 Pro with a taller 18:9 panel. Most readers can safely disregard the regular Mate 10, though, as only the higher-end Mate 10 Pro will be sold in the U.S. and UK later this year.

The Mate 10 line sees Huawei overhauling the design language of the Mate series, and dropping the chunky metal unibody that had barely changed since 2014’s Mate 7. The new glass sandwich design is more in keeping with modern flagships like the Galaxy S8 and LG V30, representing a clean break from the look and feel of previous Huawei handsets.

On the inside, both phones run Huawei’s own Kirin 970 CPU, an octa-core 10nm chip featuring ARM’s latest Mali-G72 GPU, and a new neural processing unit, or “NPU,” for AI-based functionality.

AI forms a big part of Huawei’s marketing shtick for the Mate 10, and the company demonstrated how this new NPU could assist with scene identification in the camera app, object recognition in images in the gallery app, and natural language processing in the Microsoft Translation app. In addition, AI should also help to accelerate the machine learning-based performance tuning already seen in older Huawei phones like the Mate 9 and P10.

More: Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro specs

Other key specs include 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage for the Mate 10, and 6GB plus 128GB storage for the Pro. The displays for these two phones differ in more than just their size and aspect ratio. The regular Mate 10 uses a Quad HD LCD panel, while the Pro steps up to AMOLED, but at a lower “Full HD+” resolution (1080×2160). There’s also the same generous 4,000mAh battery capacity we’ve come to expect from the Mate series, supported by Huawei’s Super Charge technology, which now carries a TUV certification for safety — but no wireless charging.

There’s are a couple of other notable difference between the standard Mate 10 and the Pro: Only the latter is water resistant, rated IP67. And only the former has a 3.5mm headphone jack. Mate 10 owners get their fingerprint sensor on the bottom bezel below the display, like the P10, whereas the Mate 10 Pro relocates this to the rear of the device.

Also around the back, Huawei’s steady improvement in digital imaging continues, with dual 12+20MP sensors behind f/1.6 lenses, both with OIS (optical image stabilization), with laser autofocus and dual-tone flash.

Huawei’s also showcasing a new version of its EMUI interface on the Mate 10, based on the just-released Android 8.0 Oreo. Although not much has changed visually in EMUI 8, the new version does boast improved performance, in part thanks to enhanced machine learning algorithms, which gradually learn how you use your phone, pre-loading and optimizing apps accordingly.

Both Mate 10 variants will be available later this year, and there’ll also be a pricey Porsche Design version, based on the Mate 10 Pro, with a murdered-out design, ample branding, and upgraded internals.

Hit up our Mate 10 preview for more on the new phone, and let us know if you’re tempted to pick one up over on the Mate 10 forums.

Huawei Mate 10

• Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro preview
• Huawei Mate 10 series specs
• Join the discussion in the forums
• More on 2016’s Mate 9

Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro hands-on preview

Huawei’s latest Oreo-powered flagship phones combine AI smarts with dual f/1.6 cameras and, of course, enormous batteries.

If you look at the heritage of the Huawei Mate series, going all the way back to 2013’s Ascend Mate one thing stands out: These are big, beastly, sturdy phones. Unapologetically gigantic screens are paired with equally hefty batteries, signifying a phone that means business. It’s a formula that’s served Huawei fairly well over the years, even if recent models like the Mate 9 haven’t broken into Western markets as much as the company may have hoped.

With the latest Mate phones comes a pivot away from the tank-like aesthetic of Mates 7, 8 and 9. Along with all the generational improvements that come in any new flagship, the Mate 10 packs the technology we’d expect from the series into two of Huawei’s sleekest and most beautiful devices to date. Glass, not metal. Slim and light, not big and bulky. And a focus on the smaller model of the two, at least in the West.

Meet the Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro.

Like last year, Huawei is launching two new Mate phones for 2017. There’s the 5.9-inch Mate 10, with a normal-ish 16:9 aspect ratio — the same screen proportion as in years past. And there’s also the 6-inch Mate 10 Pro, which has a taller 18:9 display. (Because we’re dealing with two different aspect ratios here, the normal Mate 10 actually has the larger screen area. Geometry is weird like that.)

Aside from the regular Mate 10 looking a little short and squat compared to the Pro — a side effect of trimming down the bezels in all directions, while sticking at that 16:9 aspect ratio — both phones are very similar in what they do and how they look. So before we get stuck into the meat of this preview, let’s get the major differences out of the way.

The Mate 10 Pro gets you a maximum 6GB of RAM, up from 4GB, and 128GB of storage up from 64GB. The Pro uses an OLED panel instead of the regular Mate 10’s LCD, but at a lower resolution — Full HD+ (2160×1080) versus Quad HD (2560×1440). That means the Mate 10 Pro actually gets an on-paper downgrade in resolution compared to last year’s Quad HD Mate 9 Pro. Nevertheless, both displays look great, and it’s hard to complain when Samsung’s 6.2- and 6.3-inch panels default to Full HD+ in software.

The Mate 10 Pro, with a 6-inch 18:9 screen and water resistance, is the only model coming to the UK and U.S.

The Pro has IP67 water resistance, while the standard Mate 10 comes with the increasingly rare 3.5mm headphone jack — most likely cut from the Pro to save space. Finally, the regular Mate 10 puts its fingerprint scanner on the front, whereas the Pro has its sensor around the back. As such, the standard Mate has the option use gesture input for “back,” “home,” and recent apps, freeing up even more of that giant display for your apps and content.

And here’s the big one: The U.S. and UK will only get the Mate 10 Pro initially, not the regular model. Given the Pro’s more mainstream size, higher-end specs and water-resistant qualities, the decision to pass on the standard Mate 10 in these countries is understandable. The Pro stands a better chance of competing against the LG V30, Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Google Pixel 2 XL.

More: Huawei Mate 10 vs. Mate 10 Pro specs

In any case, the core experience of using these two phones is basically identical. The tried-and-true glass-plus-metal sandwich isn’t revolutionary, but it makes for a sturdy, polished handset. Minimal, curved bezels flank the flat displays of both phones, while the back panel features a subtle striped that catches the light at certain angles.

I’m also a fan of the shaded bar around the camera module, which adds a little retro charm, while adding a clear visual differentiator for this series of phones.

In the hand, the Mate 10 Pro, in particular, feels more substantial than the extremely lightweight LG V30, and is about on par with the added heft of the metal-bodied Google Pixel 2 — though Google’s phone, with its dual speakers, is taller. The only real negatives here are the tendency for glass — even reinforced glass of the kind Huawei is using — to scratch more easily than a metal backplate, as well as the general slipperiness of the this year’s Mates compared to their immediate forebears.

Even though both the Mate 10 and the Pro are relatively large, the new models feel way more compact than previous years’ — at the same time, packing the enormous 4,000mAh battery capacity we’ve come to appreciate in previous Mates, along with Huawei’s proven “Super Charge” technology.

The new Mates are more compact than ever, while still packing in 4,000mAh batteries.

The big marketing shtick for the Mate 10 is AI. That’s because of the new Kirin 970 CPU, which has a built-in neural processing unit for faster machine learning. It’s tough to show exactly how much quicker that specialized silicon makes everyday tasks — the Mate 10 seems perfectly fast, but then so did the Mate 9. In any case, Huawei says it’s up to 20 times faster than a CPU at things like image recognition and natural language translation.

All of this neural networking and artificial intelligence is wasted without third-party developer support though, and while Huawei isn’t getting too specific on individual dev partnerships, the Mate 10 will come with an NPU-optimized version of Microsoft Translator. Huawei software president Dr. Wang Chenglu tells us the company is working with other leading developers to help them make the most of the chip’s AI chops. In addition to its own Kirin neural networking API, Huawei’s phones will support Android’s neural APIs, as well as the Tensorflow Lite and Caffe2 platforms.

Huawei — and just about everyone else — is anticipating a trend towards AI in phone apps in the coming year. That’s something we’ve already seen with services like Google Lens on the new Pixel phones. With its NPU, Huawei says it’s ahead of the curve for the coming wave of AI apps.

The NPU apparently helps with performance tuning in the new EMUI 8, as well. The latest version of Huawei’s software skips versions 6 and 7 to keep parity with the Android version. Which means — yes, the Mate 10 runs Android Oreo out of the box — not that you’d necessarily know it, though. From a purely cosmetic perspective, EMUI 8 looks almost identical to the previous version 5.1. And that’s mostly fine — EMUI doesn’t look horrible. But it also doesn’t look as sharp as vanilla Android, nor is it as easy on the eyes as futuristic Samsung Experience from the Galaxy S8.

The way a Huawei phone looks, feels and behaves in software terms is mostly unchanged.

The white and blue hues of EMUI 5 are unchanged, and the same stock icons from that version can be found in the many preloaded themes. The way a Huawei phone looks, feels and behaves in software terms is mostly unchanged. (That’s either a good thing or a bad thing depending on your personal tastes.)

What EMUI does offer in abundance is new features. For instance, EMUI 8 can load messages from notifications in a split view to avoid interrupting full-screen videos. And when viewing photos in some apps, the phone’s AI technology can intelligently upscale lower-res images. As for smaller tweaks? Well, the stock launcher now has Google Feed integration, which is nice to see. And “smart tips” can help surface Mate 10 features you might not know about based on your usage patterns.

The Mate line has always targeted business people who need a high-performance phone, and the Mate 10’s new desktop mode is a major new feature for the Mate’s core audience. Effectively, this is Huawei’s version of the Samsung DeX, only without an expensive proprietary dock to buy. It works over USB Type-C, so with the right connector you can just plug your Mate 10 into a monitor and keyboard, and run apps on a bigger screen. The phone screen itself can even be used as a trackpad, which is a nice touch. It’s also possible to hook up Bluetooth peripherals while in desktop mode, we’re told, and use wireless accessories like microphones, mice and headsets with the larger display.

Huawei doubles down on software with EMUI 8, quick security updates and more

Huawei’s software boss has confirmed to AC that the company plans to roll out Oreo for the Mate 9 Oreo four weeks after the Mate 10 goes on sale. Meanwhile, Huawei will target monthly security updates for its new flagships from the end of the year. And the company is already working with Google on Android P.

More: Huawei gets serious about software updates in EMUI 8

Even with its many impressive additions and under-the-hood optimizations, EMUI still looks and feels like EMUI. Most of the apps and icons still have a weird early-2000s desktop OS look to them, regardless of which theme you choose. And if that’s not your cup of tea, then there’s not a whole lot in this new version to win you over.

Digital imaging is one area where Huawei and its partner Leica have been making huge progress over the past year, and the Mate 10’s dual rear cameras represent a further evolution of what we saw from the Mate 9 and P10. Once again, there are two sensors around the back: a color 12MP sensor and a 20MP monochrome shooter with OIS on the main camera and brighter, dual f.1/6 lenses. And that bodes really well for low-light performance, which has been Huawei’s greatest area of weakness compared to Samsung, Google and others.

There’s a new Dual ISP, which should help improve processing quality across the board, and intelligent scene selection, which uses the phone’s AI hardware to identify the top 14 shooting scenarios and adjust settings accordingly. For instance, for a still shot a night, it’d use a longer exposure. For shots of kids and pets, it’d ramp up the ISO and use a quicker shutter speed.

I haven’t had the opportunity to test this exhaustively, but the premise is sound. If the NPU can help Huawei identify scenes more accurately and quickly than the competition, then the Mate 10’s camera could be a key area where a key partnership (Leica) and a key technology differentiator (AI and the NPU) converge to give the company a competitive edge.

I haven’t had much time to test this stuff out just yet, but what I can say is that general image quality from the Mate 10 looks promising. In the early Mate 10 samples I played with, images retained more visible grain in shaded areas — a characteristic of earlier Huawei cameras. Nevertheless, dynamic range even in challenging backlit conditions was excellent. And Huawei’s depth effects are better than ever, with live previews right in the camera app.

We’ll have more to say on the Mate 10’s cameras in our full review in the coming days, along with sample photos.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the Mate 10 series; we’ll have more to say on both phones in our full review. For me, after just a short time playing with the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, the main takeaway is that getting all the power of a Huawei Mate device no longer means carrying around a giant brick of a phone in your pocket. The Mate 10 — and in particular the Mate 10 Pro, which is the main model aimed at Western users — is both powerful and beautiful. There’s no aesthetic compromise this time.

At the same time, Huawei and Leica push forward with necessary camera upgrades that should see the new phone keeping pace with rivals.

And with Oreo onboard, along with a fresh new design and AI-powered future-proofing, the Mate 10 looks like a legitimate competitor to the latest Android phones from Samsung and Google.

We’ll soon find out if the Mate 10 can live up to its potential, and whether the Pro can move the needle for Huawei in the U.S. and Europe.

Huawei Mate 10

• Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro preview
• Huawei Mate 10 series specs
• Join the discussion in the forums
• More on 2016’s Mate 9

T-Mobile and Sprint merger teased once again, no assets expected to be sold

T-Mobile and Sprint’s decision to not sell any assets could cause for pushback from U.S. regulators.

Although there have been murmurings of a Sprint and T-Mobile merger for ages now, recent reports indicate that we might actually see a deal between the fourth and third largest U.S. carriers announced by the end of October. This was first suggested back on October 6, and another report has popped up to reiterate this point.

According to individuals that are familiar with Sprint and T-Mobile, the two carriers are preparing to announce the merger and, when they do, they’ll do so without plans of selling any assets.

This move will allow T-Mobile and Sprint to each hold onto the spectrum that they currently have, and when the merger is officially announced, it’s being reported that T-Mobile and Sprint will promote it as a way for further benefiting consumers and the carriers’ continuous work on 5G networks.

However, the deal as we currently know it is expected to ruffle some feathers with regulators for antitrust and telecommunications within the United States Justice Department. These regulators will likely push for T-Mobile and Sprint to sell their assets, but until the merger is officially announced and agreed upon by both parties, no review processes can begin.

The merger should be announced in late October or early November.

Regarding this potential area of contention, Craig Moffett (a research analyst for MoffettNathanson) says “It is better for Sprint and T-Mobile to listen and learn the concerns of regulators first, and see whether there is anything that can be done to address those concerns.”

T-Mobile and Sprint are now expected to unveil the merger in either late October or early November.

We could see a T-Mobile and Sprint merger by the end of October

Behold, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10!

Porsche Design and Huawei’s latest partnership makes the iPhone X look positively affordable.

Last year we got the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9, a rebadged version of the Mate 9 Pro, with a fancy new paint job, a weird custom theme, and a ludicrous 256GB of internal storage. Oh, and a $1500 price tag.

This year, the Porsche Design partnership continues, and so does the astronomical pricing of the co-branded handsets. The Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10 — once again, based on the “Pro” variant of that phone — will sell for €1,395 when it’s made available in November.

Like last year, the PD Mate 10 is effectively a supercharged Mate 10 Pro.

So what’s different? Well, the new Mate 10 PD sports a murdered-out black paint job on the outside, with (thankfully) more subtle Porsche Design branding where the Huawei logo would usually sit. Around the back, there’s a more ostentatious “PD” logo around the camera area, along with a distinctive cutout that provides some visual differentiation compared to the plain old Mate 10 Pro.

On the inside, Huawei has bumped up the RAM to 6 GB, while storage, once again, sits at an enormous 256 GB. And on the software side, you also get some moody Porsche Design-themed icons and wallpapers.

With Huawei focusing on the Mate 10 Pro for the U.S. and UK this time around — not to mention the largely identical design and paint job — the allure of the Porsche Design model may be lessened. That being said, the Porsche Design partnership is arguably more about creating a halo effect around Huawei’s smartphones, as opposed to shifting PD-branded phones in large numbers.

Check out the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10 below. And for a closer look at the phone it’s based upon, head over to our Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro hands-on preview,

Huawei Mate 10

• Huawei Mate 10 + Mate 10 Pro preview
• Huawei Mate 10 series specs
• Join the discussion in the forums
• More on 2016’s Mate 9