The Vivo V9 has officially launched, bringing with it a almost bezel-free 6.3-inch display, an iPhone X-style notch, 24MP front camera and 16MP+5MP dual camera setup on the rear.
Vivo is on somewhat of a roll this year. First it gave us a fully-functioning smartphone with an in-display fingerprint scanner at CES 2018, it then put that phone on sale as the X20 Plus UD and most recently, it showed off the Apex Concept at MWC 2018.
The Vivo V9 doesn't quite have the next-generation bells and whistles of either of those handsets, but it is pushing the AI camera angle hard - something that's becoming a common theme among Chinese phone manufacturers of late.
The 6.3-inch IPS display boasts a 19:9 aspect ratio - making it ever so slightly taller than Samsung's 18.5:9 Infinity Display on the Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus. However, with just a 1080 x 2280 resolution, the full HD panel isn't going to be as pin-sharp as QHD-toting rivals.
Ever committed to giving consumers a flagship feel at a reduced cost, Chinese smartphone maker Oppo's latest handset is the R11s, a device that delivers a premium experience in almost every aspect of its design.
While the original Oppo R11 was an exceptional mid-range phone, the Chinese electronics firm has managed to improve on it in every way with this new upgraded model. So much so, in fact, that it might even sway cost-minded consumers away from the likes of Apple and Samsung.
That said, despite sporting some high-end features, the R11s is undeniably a mid-range phone, as it lacks a few of the key aspects we've come to expect from flagship handsets. Still, if you can look past those shortcomings, the Oppo R11s offers terrific value.
The year of the notch continues, with the Huawei P20 Pro the latest flagship device to sport one; although to distract from its adopting the design now synonymous with Apple's iPhone X, Huawei is focusing on the P20 Pro’s rear camera prowess.
Announced alongside the Huawei P20, the P20 Pro comes with a much higher spec, including three cameras on the rear that are set to be a big part of the marketing for the new handset.
As well as those three cameras, everything else here looks high-end too. We’ve had a little time to try out the handset, and we’ve put together our first thoughts in this Huawei P20 Pro hands-on review.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus just launched and it's the most advanced big phone you can buy today thanks to its oversized screen and superb cameras, even if it all looks identical to last year’s S8 Plus.
Without dramatic changes to the design, it’s only an iterative update to the S8 Plus – but it’s an iterative update to an Android phone that’s been sitting near the top of our best phones list for the past 11 months. That’s important to remember.
We’ve tested the Galaxy S9 Plus for several weeks now, and its low-light photos and big screen are the two most obvious highlights. It’s still Samsung’s grandiose 6.2-inch curved ‘Infinity’ display that will sell you on this more expensive phone over the 5.8-inch Galaxy S9, but both handsets have an improved 12MP camera that boasts a f/1.5 maximum aperture.
This is the first camera phone with such a wide aperture, giving the S9 and S9 Plus low-light and noise-defeating powers that, in many situations, are more advanced than those of even the Google Pixel 2, our previous best phone camera.
The S9 Plus benefits from rear dual-lens camera, too, giving it the same telephoto capabilities as last year’s Note 8 (the S9 has one lens on the back). Its primary lens can also capture super-slow-motion video at 960 frames per second if you’re serious about video and, if you’re not, uses its 8MP front-facing camera to paint your face with AR Emoji props and masks. It's Samsung's spin on Apple's Animoji, but don't get too excited about it. It's rather unimpressive, unlike the rest of the phone.
Samsung has listened to the negative feedback regarding last year’s handsets, and has wisely moved its offset rear fingerprint sensor to a center-aligned position. It’s a more natural location, although you may not even need it thanks to the face unlock and iris scanning onboard and working at the same time. Addressing another shortcoming of the S8 Plus, Samsung finally gives its flagship phones stereo speakers for superior sound.
The iPhone X is the huge leap forward that Apple's handsets needed. Aside from the original iPhone in 2007, this new iPhone is set to have the biggest impact on Apple’s smartphone direction ever.
Apple itself is calling it the future of the smartphone, the embodiment of what it’s been trying to achieve for a decade. But while the iPhone X is all about premium parts and an all-new experience, it’s a huge gamble for the Cupertino brand too as it tries to reclaim some leadership in smartphone innovation.
Losing known, reliable elements like the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, the home button; introducing new methods of navigating and unlocking the phone – and charging a lot more for the privilege – seems risky for a company that was already treading new ground by doing away with the traditional headphone jack last year.
But the iPhone X is the handset we’ve been demanding from Apple for years – a world away from the increasingly-tired designs that those who just want a new iPhone have had to make do with.
