In the footsteps of IFA 2018: hit parade of announced smartphones

The once strongest player in the arena of Android-smartphones is going through hard times, but still "leaves" at the expense of flagships and mid-low-cost devices, which include the HTC U12 Life.

Emphasis in a simplified version of the device HTC U12 Plus 64 GB is set to look good. Yes, because of the backdrop assembled from two halves, the smartphone is immediately indistinguishable from Google Pixel 2 64 GB / Dual , but once you take it in your hand, the originality of the model is revealed in all its glory. The thing is that the lower part of the rear plastic panel of the gadget is slashed with grooves 0.3 mm deep, which are made by laser engraving. They give the smartphone a grip, but at the same time it is difficult to clean from dirt.

The screen of a mobile device is made according to all the canons of the genre of modern smartphone construction, and, to the delight of many, it is devoid of the so-called “monobrow” in the design. The display is based on an IPS-type matrix with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and FullHD + resolution (2160x1080 pixels). The hardware on board is represented by a bunch of Snapdragon 636 chip and 4/64 GB of memory. The strength of the hardware component of the gadget is enough for the vast majority of users for the eyes and for games, and for every day.

The situation with the cameras of the model is quite standard: the main one uses a dual photomodule 16 + 5 MP, and a 13 MP sensor with self-portrait “improvers” and face recognition is assigned to the role of the front camera. The power supply of the smartphone components is organized from a non-removable battery with a capacity of 3600 mAh. An NFC chip and a 3.5mm audio jack for headphones also speak in favor of the device. Something outstanding HTC U12 Life can not boast of, but in terms of the totality of parameters, we are presented with a confident, strong middle peasant.

The BlackBerry brand promotes its own philosophy to the masses — the manufacturer's mobile devices stand out from their peers by having a physical QWERTY keyboard on board. The novelty of the autumn season of 2018 in the face of the BlackBerry KEY2 LE smartphone is just one of them.

The physical keyboard is much more convenient to use for typing than the on-screen one. In addition, it is possible to assign a quick launch of applications to each of its keys or set the dialing number of someone from the contact book. An equally curious detail hides a gap combined with a fingerprint scanner.

Despite the fact that the keyboard "eats" part of the front panel of the case, there is a lot of space left for the screen. It stretches 4.5" diagonally and has a 3:2 aspect ratio. The picture is displayed in an atypical resolution of 1620x1080 pixels — a kind of vertically truncated FullHD format.

The smartphone runs under the control of the "underhood hardware" consisting of an 8-core Snapdragon 636 chip, 4 GB of RAM and Adreno 509 graphics. In real operation, this "iron" combination handles with turning most known games and applications without the slightest hesitation. Nimble responsiveness is also facilitated by the almost “naked” Android 8.1 OS with a minimum of interference in the system by the manufacturer.

The photographic side of the issue is the lot of the paired main camera with 13 and 5 MP modules. The assets of the first have optics with f / 2.2 aperture, and its characteristics provide the possibility of recording 4K videos. The front camera of the model is traditionally simpler — the sensor on the front panel shoots at a resolution of 8 MP. Other "chips" BlackBerry KEY2 LE — a programmable key on the right side, an NFC chip as part of communication modules and a rubberized back cover for a more tenacious grip of the smartphone in your hand. The device is the best solution for those who cannot imagine availability without correspondence in messengers, communication in social networks and are used to taking a bunch of notes on the go.

The addition of Huawei smartphones to the middle league was a success. The light version of the G20 Mate is one of the most balanced mobile gadgets of the Chinese company from the 2018 lineup in terms of price and functionality.

The key element of the outer “wrapper” of the device is a 6.3-inch display with a cutout in the upper part, referred to in some circles as a “monobrow”, and in others as a “bangs”. Due to its presence on the front panel, the aspect ratio of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite display turned out to be non-standard — 19.5: 9, which led to a change in resolution to a figure of 2340x1080 pixels. The screen is based on an IPS type matrix, which means that the user is guaranteed good viewing angles on all fronts and realistic colour reproduction.

The hardware platform of the device is based on an 8-core processor of its own production Kirin 710 with a dedicated neural computing unit. Artificial intelligence comes to the rescue in photography, recognizing the scene in the camera lens and adapting the settings for it to get the best result. Photomodules in the arsenal of Huawei Mate 20 Lite are represented by two paired cameras: 20 + 2 MP at the back and 24 + 2 MP at the front. The low-resolution sensor in both cases evaluates the depth of field to obtain a spectacular background blur behind the subject. Among those involved in the photographic business, this is called the term "bokeh".

The smartphone got enough memory for a class of strong mid-rangers (6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of ROM), common methods for authenticating the owner of the device (by fingerprint and face), and an NFC chip was also provided to the user. The main cases of its use are described in the material "What is an NFC chip in a smartphone for?". And instead of the minuses, finally, it is worth noting that the model is equipped with a 3750 mAh battery with fast charging using Super Fast Charge technology.

Monobrow trend set by smartphone Apple iPhone X 64 GB , is gaining momentum every day. This time, the Chinese company ZTE caved in to the style of the “apple” mobile gadget, which introduced the flagship device Axon 9 Pro as part of the IFA 2018 exhibition.

The model has incorporated the main features of the top mobile devices of 2018 and even more. The “bang” on the front panel of the smartphone is needed for the front 20 MP camera module with face unlock, earpiece and RGB sensor, which deals with adapting the colour temperature of the display to ambient lighting conditions. The named feature is part of Axon Vision proprietary technology, which uses a separate graphics processor. The scope of its tasks also comes down to increasing the frame rate of played videos on the fly (from 24 or 30 fps to 60 fps) and supporting video playback in a high dynamic range (HDR10).

With the hardware, the ZTE Axon 9 Pro has developed at the highest level: the 845th Snapdragon chip in combination with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of permanent memory is a clear confirmation of this. With the characteristics of the display, too, everything is in order. An AMOLED-matrix with a diagonal of 6.21" and a resolution of 2248x1080 pixels is assigned to its role. On the back of the case, you can find a tempered glass panel, where the fingerprint scanner and the dual main camera module are comfortably located, which is discussed below.

The rear camera on board the device is represented by a bunch of 12 MP main sensor with phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization, as well as a 20 MP photomodule with wide-angle optics (its field of view is 130 °). As usual, not without an artificial intelligence system that helps to get a better result when shooting portraits, fast-moving objects and other genres of photography.

A real-time translator with support for 29 languages is included in the category of "chips" of the smartphone. But that's not all — the parade of "goodies" continues with stereo speakers with a dual intelligent power amplifier and Dolby Atmos surround sound technology, dust and water protection of the case according to the IP68 standard, wireless and fast charging of a capacious 4000 mAh battery. The device lacks only a 3.5mm mini-jack, but in the wake of the massive rejection of the audio jack, this fact can only be called a minus with a big stretch.

The third generation of the Xperia XZ family of flagship smartphones has prettier in appearance and has acquired a number of new branded “gadgets” designed to bring the level of user interaction with a mobile device to a higher quality level.

The charm of the model is given by a glass case shimmering in all sorts of shades with dust and water protection according to the IP68 standard. Behind him you need an eye and an eye, because the back of the smartphone is quickly covered with fingerprints. However, the front panel is of much greater interest, where a 6-inch P-OLED matrix with a resolution of 2880x1440 pixels and HDR support is enclosed in a frame of thin side frames. The screen implements the Always-on-Display mode — displaying the time and notification icons on the locked panel without serious damage to the battery (3300 mAh).

One of the features of the Sony Xperia XZ3 is Side Sense, which reacts to tapping and squeezing force, performing a predefined action in the settings, whether it's opening a window with frequently used applications, launching navigation or other tasks. We have already seen something similar in the arsenal of smartphones HTC U11 64 GB / 4 GB , Google Pixel 2 XL 64 GB Price from 7 749 up to 8 659 ₴ and their closest relatives.

You should not focus on the hardware part of the device, because. according to the good old tradition, he got all the top ones. The power reserves of the electronic hardware, headed by the 845th "dragon", are more than enough for the long term. But the cameras in the equipment of the smartphone are of genuine interest. The main “eye” of the Sony Xperia XZ3 is one, but which one — a 19 MP module with a physical sensor size of 1/2.3" and an image stabilization system is strong in both photo and video shooting(up to 4K resolution). For example, videos in FullHD format are recorded on a camera with a frame rate of up to 960 fps, which allows you to completely freeze any movement in the frame. The resolution of the front camera of the model has grown to 13 MP versus 5 MP for Sony Xperia XZ2 64 GB / 4 GB Price from 5 459 up to 6 959 ₴.

Other attributes of the modern flagship are also in their places. Loud front stereo speakers, a full range of communication modules, including an NFC chip, fast and wireless battery charging — another confirmation of the Sony Xperia XZ3 belonging to the upper strata of the smartphone society. Complementing the picture is the Android 9 Pie system out of the box, which the model got among the first.