Just as the sunset is approaching for 2018, we’re being treated to an exciting preview of just how 2019 is going to look like in the tech world; Huawei for example, has unveiled some of its midrange smartphones for 2019 perhaps to give them a head start they desperately need in a very competitive market. Huawei has worked on its previous iteration of the P smart device and upgraded just where it matters for the device to stay afloat on the market. Bezels on the new Huawei P Smart (2019) handset have been replaced by an all screen display and a minimalistic water-drop style notch to house all important sensors.

We must comment Huawei for doing extremely well in 2018 despite a cat throat competition in smartphone market. The company managed to ship 200 million smartphones worldwide overtaking market leaders such as Apple in the global rankings. This is staggeringly impressive considering the manufacturer is currently not allowed to sell handsets in the United States. In Kenya for example, almost any vendor in the streets of Nairobi has just enough stock of Huawei devices that has so far compensated really well in global sales.

Huawei P Smart (2019) handset Target Market

The new Huawei P smart 2019 targets the mid-range market with flagship level specs, just like its previous sibling. What this means is; for those looking for an affordable smartphone with premium level and latest technologies will find home in the Huawei P Smart (2019).  

Huawei P smart 2019 design

There is so much a company could do with all the possibilities born from the notch generation. Many consumers undoubtedly favor an all screen design and Huawei has taken a step further on the P Smart (2019) device with a water-drop notch. Bezels are now slimmer than before allowing Huawei to put a 6.21-inch, full HD+ display, that the company refers to as a dewdrop display. At 1080×2340 pixels resolution, colors and images are vivid with impressive detail on a widescreen. The small notch on the front of the phone houses a selfie camera as expected. A fingerprint sensor, two rear artificial intelligent cameras, flash and Huawei logo occupy the back of this handset. If the specs in this devise seem in line with your needs, you would have a choice of three colors to choose from; midnight black, turquoise blue, and aurora blue. The curved back of the phone has a glossy finish and a ceramic-like design, that’s expected to withstand all those inevitable drops.

Huawei has come up with its own version of night mode that filters high-energy blue lights to alleviate eye fatigue while using the device. This lets the screen go easy on your eyes so you do not end up sleep deprived in certain cases.

Huawei P smart 2019 Artificial Intelligence camera

With all the fancy acronyms used to market some innovative features from phone manufacturers, don’t be fooled by Artificial Intelligence. It is just another way of saying there are several enhancements both hardware and software that improves quality of images taken on these devices and provides several modes of taking a photo as well. The Huawei P Smart (2019) houses dual 13-megapixel and 2-megapixel AI cameras. These sensors can recognize over 500 scenes and provide real-time optimization so you can achieve bright, detailed nighttime photos.

Huawei P Smart (2019) Availability and Price in Kenya Vendors are expected to replace the original Huawei P Smart with the new iteration somewhere starting January 2019. We therefore don’t expect a huge variance in prices and could retail from Ksh. 24,000.

The count down to 2019 is almost done, we’ve seen phone manufacturers release some innovative devices as well as some not so intended mishaps in the sector, yet we’re so eager to see what 2019 has to offer. In the layman’s language, the Huawei Y9 (2019) attempts to cover some ground ahead of the competition with its unexpected early release. But to the potential user, was this really necessary? We’ve taken a dive into what the device has to offer while critically analyzing the cons against what has come to be the industry standard. From our Huawei Y9 (2019) review, we’ll provide unbiased assessment of this handset but it remains the readers’ sole discretion whether or not to go for it.

Huawei Y9 (2019) Design

We’ve come to get used to company’s using all the fancy words to market their devices and we don’t expect Huawei to be an exception. From its own site, the Huawei Y9 (2019) smartphone earns some really acclaimed vocabulary. Its described to have a finely crafted 3D arc design; basically meaning you’d be amazed by its carefully curved plastic body. Nonetheless, we were fair enough to assume this was necessary to keep costs within reach for the average Kenyan consumer. If you feel you can live with this shortcomings, be prepared to have a case on it; you’d be amazed just how first this device will collect scratches. It’s comfy to hold owing to a slightly curved body, phones with a 6.5inch footprint are traditionally hard to operate with a single hand; however, the Huawei Y9 (2019) keeps bezels really small and maintains a not so big overall size.

Display Screen

Every device out there has a strong point as much as the cons could outweigh the pros. For the Huawei Y9 (2019), it’ 6.5″ FullView Display panel is definitely the soft spot for many consumers. Since we came to embrace the notch from Apple, so many devices have implemented it even better and this device is no exception. The notch is just a tad bigger to accommodate two front selfie sensors as well as important sensors that include proximity and light sensors. The screen resolution is just out of this world, at 2340 x 1080 pixel resolution text and images are vivid and detailed.

Other Specs;

To create a perfect handset, there are several factors to consider, for example some manufacturers might need to accommodate a diverse segment of consumers, while others target a specific genre with specialized specs. On my part, I’d wish to see a combination of a little of that and this. To be fair, the Huawei Y9 (2019) tries to achieve both by combining really nice functionality components while cutting down on some corners to keep prices within reach. Beside an impressive display panel, you’d be definitely be amazed with the quality of photos taken on this device. Inside the notch for example, there’s two sensors; a 16MP shooter and a 2MP depth sensor. On the back, we also get a test of 2 sensors; a 13MP camera as well as a 2MP depth sensor.

There’s two options of internal storage and amount of RAM to choose from. Either 128 GB internal with 6 GB RAM or 64 GB internal with 4 GB RAM, both options won’t disappoint as additional storage can be achieved with a MicoSD card of up to 400GB. In terms of horsepower, this model comes with Kirin 710 octa-core chip that tremendously improves single-core performance by up to 75% and multi-core performance by 68% compared to previous models.

From the above specs, everything looks great, except for unexpected bummer; unlike most handsets that I’ve embraced USB type C as an industry standard, you’ll be disappointed with this models dated MicroUSB port.

OPPO just loves the mid-range market, and does everything right to keep it that way or at least remain afloat in a highly competitive market, and who’d blame them? While I’m not a big fan of the smartphone maker,sometimes I’m just amazed how android lovers have so much choices to choose from compared to those hooked on Apple’s ecosystem. On a global scale, android devices have been praised to combine functionality and practicality in a premium level product while keeping costs within reach for average consumers. OPPO for example, has added somewhat top end smartphone; the OPPO A7 cutting just where it really doesn’t matter to have an attractive price tag at the same time.

Enough with the obvious, what exactly do you need to know before going for the OPPO A7? Of course the decision solely lies at your discretion,I only provide details to the best of my knowledge. I wouldn’t say the OPPO A7 will give you the ultimate experience. It does have some pros yes, but just like any other smartphone out there, it has flaws as well. If you’re looking for that perfect device you’d brag about for a year or so, add some more cash and get a flagship from Samsung or Apple instead, you wouldn’t go wrong with LG, HTC and Google Pixel as well.    

The OPPO A7 has a specific target segment, in this segment,you wouldn’t find power users neither will you get cash loaded gamers for example. First I’d give it to OPPO for striving to have something that many consumers here in Kenya can afford. It’s currently priced at Ksh. 23,990. In an era that many smartphones strive to have as small bezel as possible, the OPPO A7 does the best job so far, I’d say better than even some flagships. Below the screen,only a small bezel is left and at the top, you’d be amazed to see just a minimal bezel concealing the camera and sensors. OPPO describes the “A” series design as a Water drop screen with premium texture on the back cover. This is because the screen occupies almost all of the A7’s display except for a small droplet shaped notch that conceals sensors and front camera.

OPPO surely has had some success with its A series devices; the new OPPO A7 has had its internals upgraded where it matters. If the previous battery capacity wasn’t sufficient, the A7’s 4230mAh internal battery will prove to be a huge bump. I wouldn’t be excited about big numbers though, in comparison, Apple devices enjoy better battery lives due to software optimizations implemented by the manufacturer.  

I must say I’m impressed with the amount of internal storage users will get from the OPPO A7. Users will be getting 64GB worth of internal space at least for the Kenyan model. We understand a 32GB model will still be sold somewhere globally. RAM is good enough at 3GB for the 32GB model or 4GBfor the 64GB variant. OPPO A7’s front camera has a 16MP sensor while it’s back houses two 13 Megapixels sensor. For a 6.2 inches screen to have 720 x 1520 resolution, you wouldn’t see sharp images compared to devices with QHD resolutions, which by the way has become more or less an industry standard. If you’re planning to hook yourself with the OPPO A7, you’ll be presented with some interesting colors ranging from Glazing Blue, Dazzling Gold and Rose Pink. OPPO A7 is already available at OPPO retail stores here in Kenya for Ksh. 23,990.