Sibling rivalry: Honor View 10 vs. Huawei Mate 10 Pro camera shootout

The Honor View 10 shares plenty with its more expensive cousin, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, including a dual-lens camera set up on the back. There are distinct differences between the two, and the Huawei phone is considerably more expensive than the Honor phone. The question is, is the Mate 10 Pro’s camera better than the View 10’s, and if so, by how much?

We took the phones out for the day and shot a variety of pictures to see how they both performed. If you’re thinking of the new Huawei Mate 10 Pro, can you save some cash and buy the Honor View 10 instead, or is the upgrade worth it? Read on to find out.

Camera specs and features

The Honor View 10 has a pair of camera lenses on the back: An f/1.8 aperture 16-megapixel RGB camera, and a 20-megapixel monochrome lens with phase detection auto-focus. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro has dual f/1.6 aperture 12-megapixel RGB and monochrome lenses, both tuned by Leica, plus laser and phase detection auto-focus. The Leica tuning also adds two extra color modes — Vivid and Smooth — to the Mate 10 Pro’s camera app.

Using the two lenses together, both phones can capture bokeh-style blurred background shots (Portrait Mode), while the monochrome lens can be used separately to shoot great looking black and white photos without a filter. Because both phones use the Kirin 970 processor with the Neural Processing Unit (NPU), they use artificial intelligence for scene recognition, automatically changing the camera settings to adapt to the environment and what you’re shooting.

App and usability

Before we get into the photos, let’s talk about the camera interface. Both phones use Android 8.0 Oreo and Huawei’s EMUI 8.0 user interface, and essentially share the same camera app. The camera app is packed full of features, but it’s still straightforward to use. Swipe right to see the different modes, swipe up on the viewfinder to access a Pro manual mode, and use the buttons across the top to activate the wide-aperture and portrait features.

There is no discernible difference between using the camera app on the Huawei Mate 10 Pro over using it on the Honor View 10.

Blue skies

Taking pictures on sunny, bright days should be easy for all cameras, and both the View 10 and Mate 10 Pro capture a sunny scene at Lewes Castle perfectly, but the Mate 10 Pro wins the first battle. The difference in depth of color is most noticeable here, with the blue sky appearing deeper and more vivid on the Mate 10 Pro’s image. This carries across to the stone in the castle walls, where color variation is more noticeable in the Mate 10 Pro’s picture.

Also, take a look at the clouds in the lower left corner of both pictures. While they appear as a single clump in the Honor View 10’s picture, you can see detail and glimpses of blue sky between them from the Mate 10 Pro. This increased clarity and detail is also evident in the shot over the rooftops of the town, and out to the cliffs. Take a look at the weathering on the walls of the large central building in the Mate 10 Pro’s picture, and on the cliff face in the distance.

Monochrome

While the differences between the two cameras are obvious in the two photos above, the monochrome shots are far harder to separate. We actually prefer the Honor View 10’s picture of the castle doorway, which is slightly darker than the Mate 10 Pro’s picture, although it’s likely not the superior image in terms of detail.

It’s the same with the shot of the castle front, where the Honor View 10’s shot is moodier, and shows more definition in the clouds.

Panorama

The “better” picture isn’t always the one we prefer. Shooting a panorama over the rooftops from the top of the castle, we were happier with the result from the View 10, despite the Mate 10 Pro’s photo arguably having more detail.

Honor View 10

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

The Honor View 10’s lower contrast was closer to what we saw with our own eyes, and the end result was moodier and captured the chill air around us on the day.

Bokeh/Portrait Mode

Zoom in on the barrel of the cannon and marvel at the amount of detail the Mate 10 Pro’s camera captures. See every rusty patch, and almost reach out and touch the mottled, textured inside. The Honor View 10 gets very close, and you can only notice the differences when you zoom in close; but it all adds up, and we prefer the Mate 10 Pro’s shot.

Interestingly, they both get confused with the rusty spikes running along the fence, unnecessarily blurring out random sections. Both cameras allow you to adjust the focal point after shooting the picture, but we haven’t shifted either here, and focused the camera on the nearest spike for both pictures.

Challenging light

Walking around Lewes town, the shot of the green painted sign on the wall was taken down a side alley, where the light wasn’t great. The Mate 10 Pro’s picture is clearly superior, with plenty of detail in the brickwork, and way more depth to the green paint. Also, take a close look at the Walwers Lane sign, and the detail in the Mate 10 Pro’s picture. It’s a beautiful image.

The differences between the two cameras in poor lighting are confirmed with the second picture here. It’s of Reigate town hall at around 5 p.m., when the light was failing. The Mate 10 Pro’s picture is exactly what we saw, with graying clouds rather than blue clouds in the Honor View 10’s picture.

Low light

Less than an hour after the pictures of the town hall were taken, we captured these two shots of Reigate Castle, where you can see the true difference between the Mate 10 Pro’s camera and the View 10.

The Honor View 10’s picture isn’t bad — it was nearly dark at the time — but the Mate 10 Pro’s photo is stunning considering how dark it actually was.

Conclusion

The driving force behind conducting this test was to see if it really was worth spending more on the Leica-tuned camera on the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, or saving some money and getting the Honor View 10. After all, the two phones are closely-related technically, and those with the budget to get the Mate 10 Pro may question their choice after learning of the cheaper Honor View 10.

Looking at the pictures we took with both, it’s quite clear the Mate 10 Pro has the superior camera, especially in low light; but it’s not an across the board win for the Huawei phone. The Honor View 10’s monochrome pictures were often better to look at, and we still prefer its panorama effort. There’s no way anyone buying the Honor View 10 will be disappointed, and it’s fascinating to see just how close some of the images are to a phone that costs at least $200 more.

We think the Mate 10 Pro is worth the extra money, with its more attractive design, and now this camera shootout has confirmed its ability to impress here too. But the results also prove anyone buying the Honor View 10 will be very pleased with the camera as well.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Honor View 10 review
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro review
• Honor View 10 versus Huawei Mate 10 Pro: A battle of David and Goliath
• Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are here — with some strange differences
• Huawei Mate 10 Pro tips and tricks to turn you into a professional

Apple’s iOS 11.3 update will bring big changes, here’s a few of our favorites

Apple isn’t waiting until iOS 12 to bring some major changes to your iPhone or iPad. This spring, Apple will release iOS 11.3, a mid-year update that brings nearly a dozen new features.

You can download the beta to check it out, but some of the announced features won’t be available until a later date. Still, there’s a lot to look forward to in this update. Here are our favorite iOS 11.3 features.

Performance and battery controls

After Apple was accused of throttling older iPhones in December, the company promised to provide a software update to address the issue. With the iOS 11.3 update, you can access battery health information in the Settings app. You can disable the power management feature that tends to slow down iPhone — be warned, however, as disabling the power management feature on an iPhone with an older battery may cause your device to shut down unexpectedly. It’s why Apple implemented the power management feature in the first place.

Purchase options for iPhone X

While Face ID on the iPhone X makes authentication incredibly simple, it has a few drawbacks. One of which is the need to use a password whenever you want to authenticate family purchases. The iOS 11.3 update finally addresses this oversight and lets you use Face ID to authorize any family purchases. This feature is currently available in the beta.

Medical records

If you’ve ever requested medical records from your doctor’s office, you’ll appreciate Apple’s decision to integrate the data from these records into the Health app. The iOS 11.3 update allows certain medical providers to port medical records directly to your iPhone, meaning you get access to your records immediately. You can quickly check for any updates or lab results from your provider. You can see the list of supported providers through the Health app.

Improved Augmented Reality

#arkit image detection 1st try: success! As @Apple said, great feature for museums. Now I need content for 2300 paintings @NationalGallery pic.twitter.com/1m3LZVVCfJ

— Romain Derrien (@LondonRom) January 28, 2018

Apple is adding some pretty significant augmented reality (AR) updates in iOS 11.3. For starters, the update lets you to interact with certain objects and images. If you snap a picture of a book, for example, you’ll see a rating and shopping information from Amazon. It’s an impressive update that reminds us a lot of Google Lens on the Pixel 2.

A new way to read

If you use your iPhone or iPad to read a lot of books, you may like Apple’s updated ebook app in iOS 11.3. Books is more streamlined than its predecessor, and it offers a better selection of curated content. There’s also now a dedicated audiobooks tab, a long overdue feature that lets you search for audiobooks without needing to tap the Featured or Top Charts tabs. Although you’ll see an updated Books app on the beta, it hasn’t been updated to reflect the new features yet.

The final version of iOS 11.3 will be available this spring.

Editors’ Recommendations

• The iOS 11.3 update lets you to turn off performance throttling on your iPhone
• Here’s how to enroll in the iOS beta program to get updates early
• Apple’s iOS 11.3 update will (finally) open a window on battery life
• ‘Pokémon Go’ levels up its augmented reality abilities with Apple’s ARKit
• Here’s how to use Apple Pay with your iPhone, Apple Watch, or Mac

Best PlayStation 4 games under $30

Want to save some money while you buy great games? Check these titles out.

There are certain painful occasions where money management has to take priority over buying every hot new game that comes out for your PlayStation 4. However, just because you are being a responsible adult doesn’t mean that you have to forgo great games altogether. With a little patience and some smart shopping, you can find killer deals on amazing games.

If you want to keep the heat on and have an awesome new video game to play, then hopefully this article will help you to achieve your goals. Here are some of the very best games available on PS4 that can be had for under $30

• Rocket League
• Shadow of Mordor
• Bloodborne
• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
• Fallout 4
• Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain
• Life Is Strange
• The Last of Us Remastered

Rocket League – $29

As an independent game, Rocket league came out of the box reasonably priced. If you’re looking for some fast paced action based on a sport that has never really existed then Rocket League is the game for you.

Blast around in a rocket-powered car and play soccer as you do so. What more could one need?

See at Amazon

Shadow of Mordor Game of the Year Edition – $22

Shadow of Mordor is a hack and slash RPG adventure set in the world that JRR Tolkien lovingly crafted so many years ago.

Explore the desolate setting of Mordor as you take down Sauron’s army one at a time.

See at Amazon

Bloodborne – $20

Bloodborne offers the greatest difficulty to dollar ratio on this list. Take the mechanics and brutality of the Dark Souls franchise and drop it into a gothic, horror-themed setting and you have Bloodborne.

If you are looking for a game to beat you up for the lowest price possible then this is your go-to

See at Amazon

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – $28

If you’ve squeezed every last drop out of Skyrim and you still need some Dungeons and Dragons-esque gameplay then The Witcher 3 is here for you.

Play as the monster slayer Geralt as you search for elvish heir, Ciri. There is plenty to do in this gorgeous open world and plenty of monsters to slay.

See at Amazon

Fallout 4 – $24

The Fallout series has been around since the late 90’s. There have been 8 entries into the post-apocalyptic RPG series but Fallout 4 is the largest, both in terms of map size and content.

Step into your cryo chamber and awake after the Great War to a post-apocalyptic retro-future. Your main objective is to find your son but you are bound to get into plenty of other adventures along the way.

See at Amazon

Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain – $25

It was the game that broke the back of a decade’s long relationship between Hideo Kojima and Konami. Hideo may have moved on with his life and career but we have Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom pain as the reminder of a time when he and Konami could work together in relative harmony.

Jump back in the saddle as you control Snake again. Sneaking is the name of the game but so is impeccable gameplay mechanics. Well worth the price of admission.

See at Amazon

Life Is Strange – $19

Want a great independent game to play on your PS4 but don’t want to spend an arm and a leg? Check out the fantastic graphic adventure Life is Strange.

Take an independent coming of age film, mix in some superpowers and a killer story and you end up with one heck of a game.

See at Amazon

The Last of Us Remastered – $22

If you’re looking for some survival horror action at a low low price, then you can’t do much better than the remastered version of The Last of Us.

Zombies have overrun the earth and it’s your job as Joel to protect a young girl named Ellie. It’s a thrill ride that just so happens to sport a great story.

See at Amazon

Why are we reviewing PlayStation 4 games on Android Central? Let us explain.

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• PS4 vs. PS4 Slim vs. PS4 Pro: Which should you buy?
• PlayStation VR Review
• Playing PS4 games through your phone is awesome

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Google Assistant is coming soon to Chromebooks that aren’t the Pixelbook

Google Assistant’s exclusive days on the Pixelbook will soon be over.

The Pixelbook is Google’s best Chromebook to-date, and while there’s a lot about the Pixelbook that makes it such a joy to use, one of its highlight features is the addition of Google Assistant. The Pixelbook was the first Chrome OS device to ship with the Assistant, and at the time of writing this article, is still the only way to experience it on the platform.

However, according to new commits that were recently discovered in the Chromium Gerrit, it looks like other manufacturers will soon be able to easily add the Google Assistant to other Chromebooks.

The Assistant can be prompted through a voice command or button press.

The two commits that provide the most proof of this include “[adding] Google Assistant settings to the settings UI” and “[launching] an Intent when the ‘Google Assistant Settings’ is tapped.” Any manufacturer that doesn’t want to add the Google Assistant can simply ignore the new feature, but if they do choose to add it, options are given for choosing whether or not the Assistant responds when it hears the iconic “Ok, Google” hot word.

Additionally, there are settings in the Gerrit indicating that it’ll be easy for OEMs to have the Assistant launch following the press of a button. In other words, we’ll likely see Chromebooks this year that have a physical Google Assistant button like there is on the Pixelbook’s keyboard.

There’s no specific timeframe in place as to when the Assistant will be released for other Chromebooks, but even so, this is exciting news for Chrome OS fans that aren’t willing to throw down $1000+ for the Pixelbook.

Chromebooks

• The best Chromebooks
• Should you buy a Chromebook?
• Google Play is coming to Chromebooks
• Acer Chromebook 14 review
• Join our Chromebook forums

Alexa now lets you create and edit playlists with Amazon Music

Amazon’s giving users added controls for staying within its walled-garden.

Whether you have an Echo, Echo Dot, Echo Plus, or something from a third party, Amazon’s Alexa ecosystem of smart speakers is one of the best for listening to music. A lot of this is thanks to the wide array of streaming services that support Alexa, and now Amazon Music subscribers are gaining even more control over their tunes.

If you’re listening to a song on Amazon Music, you can now ask Alexa to add it to an existing playlist or create an entirely new one. This isn’t a ground-breaking feature, but it’s a nice bonus for loyal Amazon’s customers that are subscribed to the company’s streaming solution.

You can start using Amazon Music Unlimited for as little as $3.99/month on just Echo devices, and access to the full service costs $7.99/month for Prime members. It’s unclear if this playlist functionality will be made available for the likes of Spotify, Pandora, etc., but we’ll be sure to keep an ear to the ground if that turns out to be the case.

If you’re not subscribed to Amazon Music but do own an Alexa speaker, is this a big enough feature to make you consider giving Amazon Music a shot? Let me know in those comments below.

Android users can now ask Alexa to send SMS messages

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• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• All about Alexa Skills
• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
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• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

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Wireless Power 301: What Modern Dad uses in the car!

If you’re not using a wireless car mount to charge your phone on the go, you’re working way too hard.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t always sold on the idea of having a wireless charger in my car. At my desk is one thing — I’m constantly getting up and moving around need to take my phone with me, so not having to plug and unplug is great. But in the car? The phone is stationary. I’m not going to be messing with it. I shouldn’t be messing with it at all.

But consider: If you’re going to use some sort of car mount anyway, you might as well use one that will charge your phone at the same time.

There are a few cool things about using wireless charging in your car. The first is that aftermarket mounts come in all sorts of forms, and they’re not clunky things that’ll look out of place. In fact, they pretty much look like regular car mounts that don’t charge your phone. The only real visible difference is that you’ll run a cable from your car’s 12v outlet into the charger. And since this is the sort of thing you’ll leave plugged in all the time, you can do it right and route the wires as best as you can. Take your time and don’t junk it up, in other words.

And then you’ve got your different mounting options themselves. Some folks prefer vent mounts. (With the added bonus of helping keep things cool while the A/C is on.) Some folks perfect dash mounts. Some prefer windshield mounts. There are clips and clips and magnets to hold the phone in place — just like with non-charging mounts. So it’s a very familiar process.

Read more on Qi charging at the Wireless Power Consortium!

I’d definitely recommend the three mounts I tested out for this video. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages in regards to positioning. But, again, that’s the beauty of all this. You’ve got options, and you can rig things up however you want. Here’s what I tested:

• Ventev WirelessPro Dock
• iOttie Easy OneTouch Mount
• iOttie iTap Wireless Mount

But aftermarket charging mounts aren’t the only way to go. Most major car manufacturers are starting to have built-in options for wireless charging, which makes things that much easier. (For more on that, hit up Air Charge.)

The point is, if you haven’t yet considered wireless charging in your car, maybe give it a go. It’s probably easier than you expect. And if you’re going to use a car mount anyway, you might as well get that much more use out of it.

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Wireless Charging #QiPower

• The benefits of wireless charging
• Wireless Charging 101: The basics
• Wireless Charging 201: What I’m using
• Phones that charge wirelessly
• The best wireless chargers

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Latest Essential Phone update finally adds Auto-HDR

Eight months later, the Essential Phone finally has Auto-HDR.

Ever since its launch in late May, the Essential Phone’s camera has been, well, a bit of a mess. While the camera hardware seemed awfully promising, the Essential Camera app was slow, buggy, and just a pain to use out of the box. Essential’s regularly been updating the app to provide the best possible experience, and the latest one finally adds Auto-HDR.

Similar to most all phones, Auto-HDR will automatically capture a photo with the Essential Phone’s HDR mode if it detects that the current scene/subject would look better with it turned on. You’ve previously had to manually turn this on or off when using the Essential Camera app, and while it certainly would have been nice to have this from the get-go, I suppose it’s better late than never.

In addition to Auto-HDR, Essential says it’s added “a new HDR algorithm that improves camera performance and scene rendering.” Along with this, you can also expect “dynamic indicators” for HDR and Flash settings and a host of general stability improvements.

This update changes the Essential Camera’s version to 0.1.096.003, and it’s available to download from the Google Play Store now.

If you’ve got the update, have you noticed a substantial improvement in camera performance?

Essential Phone gets February security patch one day after Pixel/Nexus

Essential Phone

• Essential Phone review
• Essential Phone specs
• The latest Essential Phone news
• Join our Essential Phone forums!

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Hulu adds 60fps support for select live TV channels

Just a few days after Hulu added a new way for sports fans to customize their Olympic coverage, the company is back with another bit of news for sports fans. Subscribers to Hulu’s live TV service will be able to watch their favorite games at 60 frames per second (fps) on select channels. The higher frame rate, common on video game platforms, will help you follow the quick action in broadcasts like March Madness and the Winter Olympics. “This was one of the most-requested features by our viewers,” the company wrote in a Reddit announcement.

The first phase of the rollout happens now, with CNN, CNN International, HLN, TNT, TBS, TCM, TruTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Showtime channels, half of Hulu’s Fox affiliated and all NBC affiliates. You’ll be able to catch the 60fps action on iPhone and iPad, Apple TV, Xbox One, Fire TV, Samsung Tizen TV and Nintendo Switch. While this is good news for sports fans, Hulu isn’t the first live TV service to bump up the frame rate. As noted by TechCrunch, many streaming competitors already support 60fps streams, including Sling TV (for ESPN channels), DirecTV and YouTube TV.

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Hulu/Reddit

Lenovo recalls some Thinkpad X1 laptops due to overheating risks

Lenovo has just issued a recall for some of its 5th-generation X1 Carbon laptops. The company says that a limited number of the machines may have a loose screw that can damage the battery, leading to overheating and a possible fire hazard. Lenovo urges owners of these devices made between December 2016 and October 2017 check their serial number on the support page to see if their own X1 is affected. X1 Carbon laptops made after November 2017 are not affected, according to the company.

Lenovo says that customers who have affected laptops should immediately stop using them and set up an appointment to get their X1 inspected for free and the screw removed. The company claims that the issue isn’t a design flaw, but rather a lapse in the manufacturing process for the specific dates above. Lenovo says that while it’s known about the issue for “several weeks,” it needed time to figure out the root cause and then notify the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

Losing your PC until you can schedule an appointment is kind of tough, of course, but having it catch on fire would be worse. Lenovo says that once the screw is removed, there should be no more threat to your safety while using the laptop.

Via: The Verge

Source: Lenovo

Microsoft’s Build developer conference begins May 7th

Microsoft has just announced the dates for Build, its annual developer event, and it’ll be held from May 7th to May 9th in Seattle, Washington. It’s been quite an eventful year for Microsoft, as it ramps up its efforts in Windows Mixed Reality, churns out even more Surface laptops and leverages Cortana to go up against rivals like Alexa and Google Assistant. With all that, we have no doubt that Build 2018 will be a pretty exciting one, and of course, we’ll be there on the ground covering it all. You’d better mark your calendars now.

Microsoft Build returns to Seattle May 7-9, 2018. Developers, join us as we explore the future of technology. #MSBuild https://t.co/e6X6Vejr77 pic.twitter.com/zf660MM3cI

— Microsoft (@Microsoft) February 8, 2018