Huawei's Honor to launch Android smartphone in India by end of this year

Honor has come with its operating system HarmonyOS after the US government announced a ban on supplies of components and software by American companies to Huawei.

Chinese smartphone brand Honor is planning to launch Android-based handset in India by the end of this year, despite a ban on its parent firm Huawei for purchase of software and hardware components from US companies.

Besides, the Huawei sub-brand is focussing on deployment of internet of things (IoT) technology.

"We are going to launch Honor 9X by the end of this year in India. It will be on Android. Any android phone can be mirrored with Honor smart screen.

We have always been thankful to our US partners for their support," Honor India President Charles Peng told PTI in an interview.

Honor has come with its operating system HarmonyOS after the US government announced a ban on supplies of components and software by American companies to Huawei.

It recently unveiled world's first HarmonyOS based product Honor Vision.

It has plans to officially launch and start selling Honor Vision smart television in India from the first quarter of 2020. It can be connected to Android-based Honor smartphones to access content on the television.

The firm is also in talks with leading video entertainment companies to support Honor Vision before it is launched in India.

Business Standard

Huawei's Honor rejigs strategy, to soon launch ecosystem products in India

Known in the country for its smartphones, Honor is now seeking to bring its ecosystem products - smart televisions, speakers, tablets, wearables, glasses and laptops - to India.

Chinese electronics manufacturer Huawei’s smartphone brand Honor has altered its product strategy in India. Known in the country for its smartphones, the company now seeks to bring its ecosystem products to India. These products include smart televisions, speakers, tablets, wearables, glasses, laptops, etc. Most of these, already available in China, will be made available in India starting next year.

“In India, we aim to create an entire product ecosystem that would include smartphones, televisions, tablets, laptops, watches, glasses, etc,” said Honor India President Charles Peng in an interaction with Business Standard.

According to Peng, the new product strategy is called “1+8+N” wherein “1” represents smartphones, “8” represents televisions, speakers, watches, laptops, fitness bands, glasses, etc, and “N” represents partner ecosystem products, including mobile offices, smart homes, sports and health, audio-visual entertainment, and smart travel products.

Smartphones, being at the core of the new product ecosystem, will remain the company’s focus area. By the end of this year, the company will bring to India its recently launched 48-megapixel camera based smartphone the Honor 9x, according to Peng.

Later, in the first quarter of 2020, the company will launch the Honor Vision smart television. This will be Honor's first smart product to run on its proprietary Harmony operating system. According to Peng, the company is in talks with content providers in India to support Honor Vision before it is launched in the country. However, the first batch of the television might be launched without any partnerships.

Peng also said that there was no defined launch timeline for these products, but the company was aiming to gradually bring to India most of its ecosystem products that were already available in its home country. As for India-exclusive devices, Peng confirmed there was no such plan but Honor would weigh its options based on consumer interest.

Business Standard

Honor Watch Magic review: Fancy smart wearable that excels as fitness band

Honor Watch Magic is a basic smart wearable that's more of a fitness band than a smartwatch. If you want a fancy fitness band that can double up as a watch, this is a good option.

After launching the Honor Band 4 fitness band, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei’s sub-brand Honor introduced in India the Honor Watch Magic – a smart wearable that functions both as a watch and a fitness band. The watch is made of steel and comes in black and silver colour options, priced at Rs 13,999 and Rs 14,999, respectively.

Design

The Watch Magic has a solid build with a CNC-processed bezel on the top, and laser-engraved markings on the lower side. These engraved markings, along with an accentuated red colour marking on the bezel and menu button, go well with the dual colour textured strap that the watch comes with. However, the sweat-proof strap has a silicone rubber on the bottom that might not suite suit everyone, especially those with skin sensitive to allergies. Thankfully, the watch is water resistant (5ATM/50 meters) and is designed so that it does not accumulate water for a long time.

Display

The watch has a 1.2-inch AMOLED touchscreen, which is big enough to show relevant information available on various watch faces, but not so large as to reflect smartphone notifications properly. Being an AMOLED unit, the screen has good contrast and vivid colours, which makes the icons on screen pop out. The display has ample brightness to stay legible in bright outdoor conditions. Though the screen is set to show information when the arm is raised, it can be set to remain on from display settings in app. However, turning the display on permanently depletes the on-battery time.

Features and performance

Apart from functioning as a standalone device, the Honor Watch Magic also works with smartphones via Huawei Health app – available on both iOS and Android platforms. The app allows the phone and watch to sync data and shows the data readings in interactive graphic form within the app home screen. The app also helps update the watch’s firmware, which sometimes comes bundled with new watch faces.

Being a smart wearable, the watch is capable of monitoring various activities, fitness, heart rate and sleep. The watch’s built-in GPS module helps it track movement, though not precisely. It is also capable of monitoring sleep patterns using the bottom-mounted heart rate sensor. Unfortunately, the watch has no storage for songs, something you would expect from a lifestyle product.

Business Standard

Honor View 20 first impressions: Worthy if launched as midrange smartphone

Unveiled at a global launch in Paris on January 22, the Honor View 20 is set to be launched in India on January 29.

The Honor View 20 is set to become the first smartphone in India to feature a punch-hole screen. Unveiled at a global launch in Paris on January 22, the smartphone is set to be launched in India on January 29. Apart from a punch-hole screen, the phone also boasts a 48-megapixel primary camera, gradient glass design, and an Android Pie-based Magic user interface, which is an improvement to Huawei’s emotion UI (EMUI) seen in previous iterations of Honor devices.

From a premium build to top-tier specifications, the Honor View 20 seems to be a flagship smartphone that would set the benchmark for future Honor-branded smartphones. The phone’s punch-hole is a step forward, compared to notch screens. It accommodates a 25-megapixel front camera for selfies. However, like other notch screen-based smartphones, it also has a visible bezel at the bottom that obstructs its otherwise bezel-less profile.

Honor View 20 On the back, the phone has a glossy glass with gradient design. It shows V-shaped gradient lines that reflect when looked at from angles. Unfortunately, the design is prominent only in the sky blue colour, and not other variants. At a time when in-display fingerprint sensors are becoming mainstream in smartphones, the Honor View 20 has gone with a conventional fingerprint sensor on the back. It obstructs the phone’s unibody design, but its utility makes up for whatever little damage it does to the phone’s overall design language.

The phone has an unconventional dual-camera module at the back with a mammoth 48MP primary lens, paired with a time-of-flight (3D) lens. The camera seems to be of the flagship breed. It also has an artificial intelligence-based automatic scene selection that recognises frame instantly and adjusts settings accurately in most cases. The camera also boasts a dedicated night mode for low-light photography. It lightens the dark scene, but shows loss of details at times.

Overall, the phone seems to be a value-for-money proposition based on Huawei’s premium offerings like the Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro. Even though the phone lacks some of the premium features like an in-display fingerprint sensor, AMOLED screen, QHD resolution display, monochrome or telephoto lens, etc, it compensates for them in one or the other way. It should be seen as a complete package — if it is launched in the mid-tier range of below Rs 40,000 that is.

Business Standard

From foldable devices to smarter assistants, technology to expect in 2019

In new year 2019, gadgets are expected to get a major transformation, setting the stage for devices that would change the way we interact with technology.

From the news of when to expect a first 5G smartphone to a glimpse of a foldable screen device, the year 2018 set in motion a lot of things that would materialise in the new year 2019. The technology and gadget space is expected to get a major transformation, setting the stage for devices that would change the way we interact with technology. Business Standard lists some of the upcoming devices and technologies:

FOLDABLE DEVICES WITH BENDABLE SCREENS

Since its inception, mobile phones have been bearing a bar shaped form factor that cannot be bent, twisted or folded. However, things are about to change and soon there would be devices with bendable screens, making the concept of foldable devices a reality. Last year, South Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled a working prototype of its first foldable device at its developers’ conference. Called the Galaxy X, the device boasts an inward bendable screen and a secondary screen on the outside. The convertible device (tablet-cum-smartphone) is expected to be unveiled this year.

Not just Samsung, other smartphone makers like LG Electronics, Lenovo, Motorola and Huawei are also known to be working on their own foldable devices, which are expected to be unveiled sometime this year.

ROLLABLE TELEVISIONS

The rollable OLED screen technology has been around for some time. However, it has not yet found its way into consumer-ready products like smartphones or televisions. Last year, LG showcased its 65-inch rollable OLED TV at the Consumer Electronic Show. This year, Samsung and Sony are expected to unveil televisions with rollable screens. While the utility of such televisions is still unknown, it is safe to assume that these upcoming televisions would at least address the space and portability issue that the current generation televisions face.

5G IN SMARTPHONES

With all the optimism around the 5G network, it is safe to assume that the next generation of mobile connectivity would start to roll out by the end of 2020. However, to ensure that consumers have compatible devices when the technology rolls out, smartphone makers are working over time on devices with 5G network support. These are expected to be launched sometime this year. Chinese smartphone maker Oppo has already showcased a 5G-ready prototype based on its Find X smartphone. OnePlus, another Chinese company, also revealed its plan to launch a 5G smartphone this year. Likewise, Samsung, Huawei, Honor and other smartphone manufacturers are also said to be working on their own smartphones with 5G network support.

Business Standard

Honor announces Flipkart Big Billion Day offers; aims to sell 1 mn units

In the Flipkart sale, the company would be offering discounts, along with bank offers, on Honor-branded smartphones like the Honor 9N, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7S, Honor 9i, Honor 10 and Honor 7A.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei's sub-brand Honor on October 3 announced some exciting offers on its smartphones during the Flipkart Big Billion Day sale. The aim is to sell one million devices during the festive-season sale starting from October 11 on the e-commerce platform. In the sale, the company would be offering discounts, along with bank offers, on Honor-branded smartphones like the Honor 9N, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7S, Honor 9i, Honor 10 and Honor 7A.

As part of its sale offers, the company has announced price reduction on the above-mentioned smartphones and their variants. The company also announced a 10 per cent instant discount to HDFC Bank debit and credit card customers and no-cost equated monthly instalments on Bajaj Finserv cards.

ALSO READ: Honor 9N review: Mid-range device with premium design, average performance

The sale offers are valid across Honor-branded smartphones and their variants, including the Honor 9N, Honor 7A, Honor 7S, Honor 9 Lite, Honor 9i and Honor 10. In the budget segment, the company would offer Honor 7A and Honor 7S at a discounted price of Rs 7,999 and 6,499.

In the premium budget segment, Honor is offering the Honor 9 Lite 3GB/32GB at a discounted rate of Rs 9,999. The phone’s 4GB RAM and 64GB storage variant would be available with a Rs 3,000 exchange offer which would bring down the effective cost to Rs 11,999.

In the midrange segment, the company is offering the Honor 9N with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage and 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage at discounted prices of Rs 9,999 and Rs 11,999, respectively. The quad-camera-based Honor 9i would be available at a discounted price of Rs 12,999 and the premium Honor 10 would come with a discounted price of Rs 24,999. These devices are also eligible for Flipkart's complete mobile protection plan at an additional cost of Rs 199.

Business Standard

Honor 9N review: Mid-range device with premium design, average performance

The Honor 9N shares its technical specifications with other Honor budget smartphones. However, in terms of design and features, the phone offers a refreshing new experience.

Honor, the online sub-brand of the Chinese smartphone maker Huawei, has been aggressively pushing its new smartphones in India. As a result, the company recently becamme one of the fastest-growing smartphone brands in the country, according to the Counterpoint research. A new addition to the company’s budget smartphone portfolio, the Honor 9N, sports a notch-based screen, a first for the company’s budget profile. However, there is more to the phone than just the new screen format.

The Honor 9N sports a premium glass design, dual rear cameras and a modern 19:9 aspect ratio notch-based screen. Importantly, the phone comes in three RAM and storage configurations – 3GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB and 4GB/128GB. It shares its technical specifications with other Honor budget smartphones, but in terms of design and features, it offers a refreshing new experience.

Design and display

The Honor 9N takes design cues from its flagship sibling, the Honor 10. The phone’s front and back are covered with glass, with subtle curved sides that move into a metallic chassis. The back glass is reflective in nature and takes some of the colour-changing properties from the Honor 10. However, it is not as profound as seen in the premium sibling.

The front of the smartphone is dominated by a 5.84-inch notch-based fullHD+ screen. However, even with a big screen, the phone’s form factor is compact and it feels light in hand and comfortable to carry in pocket. The phone’s back has a fingerprint scanner at the upper centre and dual cameras, with an LED flash, on the extreme top left. Interestingly, the camera unit does not bulge out much – it did in the Honor View10 – and fits right inside the frame, improving the phone’s design quotient.

Speaking of the screen, it produces sharp colours and ample brightness to stay legible under direct sunlight. The touch response is good and there seems to be no issue with calibration. The screen contrast also remains sharp which makes it suitable for multimedia content consumption.

Performance
The Honor 9N is powered by Kirin 659 system-on-chip, which is a default choice of processor in most Honor budget smartphones. The processor seems to have aged now but still has the potential to keep things going the right way. It manages to run day-to-day tasks with ease, and manages to get along well with processor-intensive apps and games.

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Honor Play with GPU Turbo technology launched; sale starts on Amazon at 4PM

The Honor Play is primarily a casual gaming phone. It features graphic and audio enhancements for immersive gaming experience.

Honor, an online sub-brand of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, on August 6 launched the Honor Play. The Amazon-exclusive device is the first Honor-branded smartphone to feature GPU Turbo technology in India. The phone also features top-tier specifications and features, including the Kirin 970 system-on-chip (SoC) paired with neural processing unit (NPU), up to 6GB of RAM and artificial intelligence-based camera enhancements.

The Honor Play is primarily a casual gaming phone. It features graphic and audio enhancements for immersive gaming experience. Some of these enhancements are part of the GPU Turbo technology that the phone boasts, and other are stimulated from phone’s AI-engine. The phone supports 3D audio effects via headphones, and customised vibration feedback based on in-game scenarios. According to company’s claim, the Honor Play supports real-time image and audio recognition for up to 30 different scenario, and offer 10 different vibrations setting based on in-game scene.

Honor Play Apart from gaming enhancements, the phone also features AI-based dual camera module on the back. The camera module features a 16-megapixel primary sensor, paired with a 2MP depth-sensing lens, with AI technology that auto-identify scene based on machine learning algorithms and adjust the camera settings accordingly. According to company’s claim, the Honor Play camera recognises up to 22 objects and more than 500 scenarios in real time. The camera also features electronic image stabilisation and AIS for stable handheld shots.

Honor Play specifications

Screen: 6.3-inch fullHD+ (19.5:9 aspect ratio)

Processor: Kirin 970

Rear Camera: 16MP+2MP

Front Camera: 16MP

RAM and Storage: 4GB/64GB and 6GB/64GB

Battery: 3,750 mAh

The Honor Play come with EMUI 8.2 user interface, which is built on Android Oreo 8.1 operating system. The phone is priced at Rs 19,999 for 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM variant, and Rs 23,999 for 6GB RAM and 64GB ROM variant. It will be available in two colousr – midnight black and navy Blue. It will go on sale today i.e. 6 August from 4PM exclusively on Amazon India.

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Honor Play India launch today: Price, features, specs & watch livestream

The Honor Play will go on sale today at 4PM exclusively on Amazon. It will be available in two colours - blue and black.

Honor, an online sub-brand of the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, is gearing up to launch the Honor Play in India today i.e. August 6. The phone was first unveiled in China last month. It is with this smartphone that Honor introduced the GPU Turbo technology, which the company claims to improve phone’s graphic performance without compromising on the processor’s efficiency. The Amazon-exclusive smartphone would go on sale today from 4PM and will be available in two colours – blue and black.

The Honor Play is a premium device with top-notch specifications and features such as Kirin 970 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with a discreet neural processing unit for machine learning, artificial intelligence-based dual rear cameras. The phone brings back Honor’s signature metallic design with matte look. It boots Android Oreo 8.1 covered under EMUI 8.2 user interface.

The phone sports a 6.3-inch notch-based 19.5:9 aspect ratio screen of fullHD+ resolution.

It features a 16-megapixel primary camera sensor, paired with 2MP depth-sensing lens on the back and a 16MP shooter on the front for selfies. The rear cameras feature AI scene recognition for still photography and AIS & EIS for image and video stabilisation. The front camera features iPhone-inspired portrait mode with several lighting features. Powering the phone is a 3,750 mAh battery and it supports fast charging with bundled 18W charger.

Except for the change in design, the phone seems to be an identical twin of the Honor 10, which was launched in India last month. However, the phone would come with GPU Turbo technology out-of-the-box that would be enabled in the Honor 10 sometime later in a software update. Though the Honor Play features GPU Turbo tech, it would not come loaded with any dedicated game or utility tool that could utilise the technology’s potential. However, the company is promising to soon bring game titles such as PUBG and utility tools such as interface animations as a part of software update.

Article Source BS

Honor 9N sale starts today on Flipkart: Where to buy the smartphone

The smartphone with 3GB RAM+32GB storage variant is priced at Rs 11,999, 4GB RAM+64GB at Rs 13,999 and 4GB RAM+128GB variant at Rs 17,999.

Honor, the online subsidiary of Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, on July 24 launched the Honor 9N in India. The Flipkart-exclusive smartphone will be available in three RAM and storage configurations -- 3GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB and 4GB/128GB. It will go on sale from July 31 by 12 noon and will be available in lavender purple, sapphire blue, midnight black and robin egg blue colours.

When and where to buy:

The Honor 9N will on sale starting 12 PM on July 31. The 3 GB | 32 GB variant will go on sale at Rs 11,999. The 4 GB | 64 GB is priced at Rs 13,999 and the 4 GB | 128 GB variant will be launched at Rs 17,999. Here's the link to where you can buy the mobile.

The rise of Honor: A bried review

With 188 per cent growth, Honor was one of the fastest growing brands in India in the second quarter of 2018 -- registering a three per cent market share and grabbing fifth spot.

Sensing the right momentum, the Chinese smartphone maker has brought notch "Honor 9N" with "Full View" display and 19:9 aspect ratio in the sub-Rs 15,000 category to the country.

The smartphone with 3GB RAM+32GB storage variant is priced at Rs 11,999, 4GB RAM+64GB at Rs 13,999 and 4GB RAM+128GB variant at Rs 17,999.

"Honor 9N" (we reviewed 4GB RAM+64GB variant) can help the brand further cement its position.

The 5.84-inch Full HD+ device has 79 per cent screen-to-body ratio. There's a speaker grille and the front camera on the notch. You can also enable or disable the notch as per wish.

At this affordable range, the display quality was great with good amount of saturation, deep blacks and sunlight legibility. A 2.5D curved glass design with 12 layers of glass with nano-coating finish gave mirror-like effect.

The device is perfect in size as navigating it with a single hand hardly posed any obstacle.

Powered by the Kirin 659 processor and equipped with a dedicated i5 Co-processor, the device comes with hybrid-dual SIM support.

On the software front, the smartphone runs latest Android 8.0 (Oreo) operating system (OS) topped with Honor's custom EMUI 8.0. The UI also comes with a gaming mode that will let you play games without much distraction.

Article Source BS

Honor 9N India launch today: Watch live stream, know expected price, specs

The Honor 9N would sport an optimised notch-based screen and 2.5D curved glass design with 12-layer Nano coating on the back for a mirror-like effect.

Honor, the online subsidiary of Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei, is all set to launch the Honor 9N in India on July 24. The Flipkart-exclusive smartphone would sport an optimised notch-based screen and 2.5D curved glass design with 12-layer Nano coating on the back for a mirror-like effect.

The Honor 9N is reported to be a renamed version of the Honor 9i, launched in China some time ago. In terms of specifications and features, the Honor 9N is expected to sport a 5.84-inch fullHD+ notch-based screen stretched in a 19:9 aspect ratio. The phone would be powered by Kirin 659 system-on-chip (SoC), paired with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage. This is the same processor that has been used in most of Honor’s budget smartphones, including the Honor 9 Lite, Honor 7X and Honor 9i (Indian version).

However, the Honor 9N processor might support Huawei’s recently announced GPU Turbo technology, which the company claims to boost graphic performance by up to 60 per cent and processor efficiency by 30 per cent.

In terms of imaging, the Honor 9N would have a dual camera set-up on the back and a single-camera unit on the front for selfies. The rear cameras would feature a 13-megapixel primary sensor mated with a 2MP depth-sensing lens. The selfie camera would feature a 16MP lens, which would also double up as a biometric utility for the face-unlock mechanism. Powering the device would be a 3,000 mAh battery.

As for the price, the Honor 9N is expected to be priced somewhere between Rs 12,000 and Rs 18,000. However, this is a speculative price and the official price, sale information and colour details would be added soon after the launch.

Article Source BS

Honor 7C review: Another budget smartphone with decent camera, performance

For a budget smartphone, the Honor 7C comes loaded with premium features like metallic design, 18:9 aspect ratio screen, Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 OS, face unlocking capabilities, etc.

Honor 7C Review : Honor, an online subsidiary of Huawei, is on a roll in India. After launching the budget Honor 9 Lite, followed by a mid-range Honor 10, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer recently launched the Honor 7C. For a budget smartphone, the Honor 7C comes loaded with several premium features like metallic design, 18:9 aspect ratio screen, Android Oreo-based EMUI 8.0 operating system, face unlocking capabilities, etc.

In terms of design, the Honor 7C looks like another modern day smartphone with 5.99-inch fullHD+ IPS 18:9 aspect ratio screen, which is bright and colourful, covered under curved glass. The phone belongs to Honor 7x lineage, therefore it has an aluminium back that feels sturdy. The phone’s tall stance, coupled with a mammoth screen on front, looks good for a budget proposition.


The Honor 7C is one of the very few Honor devices to boast the Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. Honor has been using the in-house developed Huawei Kirin system-on-chip (SoC) in almost all the models. However, the Honor 7C trades in the Kirin 659 SoC for the entry-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC to power the device.


As for the performance, the Honor 7C sails through most daily tasks without any hiccups. However, it does feel underpowered, especially while handling processor-intensive tasks like multitasking and online video streaming. The performance, though, is at-par with other budget smartphones in the segment, except for the recently launched Xiaomi and Asus smartphones, which boast a much powerful Snapdragon 660 SoC.



Though the performance is nothing exemplary, the phone handles graphic intensive apps better than Kirin 659 SoC-based counterparts do. The browser-based gameplay is consistent and smooth, app-based video streaming services work satisfactory and games work fine at moderate settings.
In terms of imaging, the Honor 7C sports a 13-megapixel primary sensor, paired with a 2MP depth-sensing lens. There is an 8MP sensor on the front for selfies and face unlock feature. The camera in Honor 7C takes satisfactory shots, however, it is a mixed bag of hits and misses. The auto focus is instant but the touch to focus seems a bit out of calibration. The shots look detailed and the colour reproduction is natural. In low light conditions, the camera is not great, but still better than what other budget smartphones’ cameras turn out to be. It takes decent shots, but the noise is prominent.