[Android] Huawei @IFA — Nexus 6, Mate S, Watch

September 2 is fast approaching, meaning a Huawei thread is in order just about now given how they're expected to be one of this year's IFA heavyweights. Huawei is also the one that has Google covered on this year's large and premium Nexus 6, with LG taking care of a more mainstream segment that the upcoming Nexus 5 will fill. What news are you expecting to see reported from Berlin about the budget-gone-premium marque?

Nexus 6 (2015)



While Huawei have proven their craftsmanship, the upcoming Nexus 6 / Nexus X Plus doesn't look like your typical Honor or Mate. Flaunting symmetrical front-facing speaker grilles and less flair overall, Google's influence is evident - an influence that reaches beyond the device's housing. Up front, the device is expected to carry a Samsung-made QHD 5.7-inch AMOLED display along with Qualcomm's latest and greatest Snapdragon 810 SoC (some report 820). A fingerprint sensor is found on the back to accommodate Android Pay, while photo leaks and Marshmallow's feature list dictate Type-C USB connectivity. Other rumoured specs are 3GB of LPDDR4 memory, 3,500mAh worth of battery capacity, and 64GB of Samsung eMMC 5.1 storage. Rumours suggest a 21 MP (Sony IMX230) main shooter. Rezence/WiPower wireless charging (the ability to charge through metal was recently added) should come built in.

Mate S



Nexus devices tend to be based on one of the manufacturer's flagships, and in Huawei's case, that flagship should be the Mate S/Mate 8. We could very well also be talking about two high-end devices, a Mate 7S and a Mate 8. See, vastly different specs are being leaked. Some report a 5.7-inch 1080p display with pressure sensitivity (akin to Force Touch), Kirin 935, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, and a 13 MP IMX278 camera. Others report a 6.0-inch QHD display, Kirin 950, 4GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, a 20.7 MP IMX220 camera and 8MP front camera, a 4,500 mA battery, and capacative touch buttons (seen above). We may, however, not see a Kirin 950 device announced before MWC next year, in which case it would make perfect sense to refresh the Mate 7 for now. Either way, rumours and leaks don't always add up (IMX220 seems weird in a flagship when the IMX230 is a smaller, improved sensor). Come IFA, we'll see.

Watch




The Huawei Watch was detailed to come with a circular 1.4-inch 400x400 AMOLED display covered in sapphire glass, a 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400, 300 mAh battery, 4GB internal memory, 512MB RAM, with the ever maturing Android Wear in place and six sensors, including heart-rate and 6-axis. They may have an updated version at hand since it has to face tougher competition after the delay. Can Huawei hope it'll be well-recieved if it remains unchanged?

 

SO looking forward to the huawei nexus! really hope that the snapdragon 810 rumors arent true and its an 820 instead also, latest rumors put the release date on sept. 29th...

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Cool, so the LG Nexus and Huawei Nexus will launch at the same time?

 

thats whats unknown yet. the sept. 29th date was cited specifically for the LG model with no word on the huawei yet. i just assumed that they would launch together with android M...

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Yeah, I guess the LG is the only phone that has been more or less confirmed to launch by the end of September. On the bright side, a later release of the Huawei Nexus would make a S820 more likely.

 

torn between earlier release and the s820, though id prefer the latter
also, if the mate 8 is released at IFA and it turns out to be as awesome as the leaks suggest, i might just sway from the nexus...altho im a sucker for vanilla android, hmmm.....decisions, decisions!

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

As much as I love buying into unique top-of-the-line hardware, dealing with nightlies can be a PITA. 64GB internal memory is manageable, and an IMX230 plus an AMOLED display, if true, might just be the recipe for a dream of a Nexus phone.

Huawei slipped another teaser for their Mate 7S. The 1 cm² fingerprint sensor will serve 5 functions under EMUI.



The Huawei Watch was also listed early on Amazon, with the spec sheet we already know. Price ranges from $349 - $799.

http://www.androidcentral.com/huawei-watch-pre-order-listing-hits-amazon
http://www.phonearena.com/news/Huaw...n-September-2-prices-may-go-up-to-799_id73135

 

smartwatches somehow cant really fascinate me (yet?)....

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

They don't fascinate me either, but they can make sense. In my opinion, a smart watch should be a watch first and a gadget second, meaning it should look good, be built to last, and never be a nuisance. I think Huawei have nailed the basics by using a circular OLED display with sapphire glass (looks less digital and consumes little energy when telling time with mostly black content), a solid stainless steel construction (water-resistant and high-end feel).

My main gripes are that the S400 from 2013, with its Cortex-A7 cores and 28 nm node, coupled with a somewhat modest 300 mAh battery might look out of place at IFA. Another one is that it's only water-resistant, not water-proof. Their rubber TalkBand N1 is IP54 certified, while the Watch has no certification for dust or water resistance at all. People that have gone hands-on also point out that it feels more substantial to wear than your average watch.

As for how I'd use a smart watch, I believe I'd only use it as an extension of my smartphone and a timepiece. Glancable information (determining the urgency of notifications), sensor usage, and telling time would be it. Having sensors that track exercise are best placed in an Android Wear companion device, like a smart watch. Having a heart rate sensor in your phone seems dumb since you have to hold onto it during your entire workout to get somewhat meaningful data. The dilemma I have with smart watches is that A) A smart watch is just a non-crucial secondary gadget that you'll still have to upgrade from time to time, so you want it to be inexpensive. B) A smart watch will replace your current, often classy analogue timepiece. You'll want it to look classy too, which makes it expensive. A Project Ara-esque option would come a long way in this category. Some people like their watches to be timeless (pun intended) and collectable, because they are often highly valuable. A Project Ara inititative for smart watches would allow costly smart watches to stay relevant by having their cheap motherboards replaced as time passes, though water-proofig could complicate the process. Actually, Tag Heuer is doing something similar.

It will be interesting to see if transparent OLED displays find a home in watches. You could have a typical analogue watch underneath the display, saving a tremendous amount of power when you want your watch to only tell the time, and the device would look cooler to boot.

 

Huruffffffffffffff someone get me a barf bag. That's awful.

 

Haha, do you find its looks that repulsive? I think the front is just bland, not ugly, and the back might look better in black since the camera bump, which might be good for egonomics, becomes less pronounced. The photo below is of a polycarbonate prototype, but they'll be sure to offer it in black as well.



Huawei decided to come out and confirm the release date of their Huawei Watch, just in case anyone was still in doubt.



http://www.phonearena.com/news/Teas...h-confirms-September-2nd-release-date_id73152

 

the polycarbonate is just a plastic protective shell though, the actual metal phone is in there

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

Personally, I like it.

More importantly, extending the camera bulge for the entire width of the phone makes it more stable when resting face-up on a desk and you're interacting with just one finger. A camera bulge just around the camera itself (whether it's centered like Samsung flagships or especially offset from center like the iPhone 6) makes the phone wobble in that context.

 

I believe that image is of an earlier prototype, one where they didn't use metal. The protective shell is quite thick, altering the appearance of the phone in the process. But yeah, leakers with a proven track record point out that the finished product will indeed have a metal build.

QFT. A Nexus phone is all about the user experience. Prioritising a design decision the majority may think would lend the phone a subjective advantage when it comes to looks should not win over an objective usage advantage in a device like this.

 

More leaks coming in regarding the Mate 7S.

It stands to reason that the powerful 16nm Kirin 950 would be reserved for a Mate 8 released at a later date. A 20MP IMX220 still seems like a weird choice if not for cost reasons. The 16MP IMX240 is already a better 16:9 shooter than the 21MP IMX230 that's finally starting to crop up. At least Sony might not lend the competition an edge in the camera face-off by being slowpokes themselves this time around. I hadn't heard anything about a 23MP Sony sensor before the Xperia Z5 family leaked.

http://www.gizchina.com/2015/08/31/huawei-mate-s-coming-with-5-7-inch-2-5d-display/

 

that 2.5D display should prove interesting... in any way, im relieved to see that the Mate S is NOT the Mate 8

 

I like the look of the new Nexus 6 to be honest... I really like the camera bump for the fact that it doesn't rest on the lens... The lens is still recessed. The look on the front looks like the Motorola 6 and if I really don't like the back, I'll pick up a UAG case.

 

There's a good chance the two Nexus phones will both launch on September 29.

http://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_nexus_and_new_lg_nexus_to_be_unveiled_on_september_29-news-13822.php

Even with news that Samsung is testing the Snapdragon 820 intensively, indicating that the chipset may not be as far off as inititally expected, September 29 would be early. At least the Xperia Z5 reportedly doesn't get hot when handling 4K footage, which bodes well for the thermal aspect of the new 810 chips.

As much as I'd like a S820, Helio X30, or Kirin 950, I'm not sure I want to hold off, yet again, until MWC. The LG G4 Pro could be released as early as October 10, the Huawei Nexus should be solid if it gets a nice camera, and the Xperia Z5 Premium also intrigues me, despite its worringly high PPI.

 

now if only the battery capacity holds true at 3500 mAh, im sold