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HUAWEI surprisingly reveals the Mate 60 Pro with three punch holes

Alongside the one-eyed Mate 60

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Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

HUAWEI has surprisingly (and quietly) revealed the newest Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro in China — just ahead of the Apple event for the upcoming iPhone 15 series.

Base and Pro

Unlike last year’s Huawei Mate 50 series featuring four different models (at least in China), HUAWEI decided to launch just the base and Pro models this August 2023. However, rumors are floating around the web that they will have a follow-up launch. That will feature the more powerful Mate 60 Pro+ and the expected premium-line RS Design (without Porsche anymore).

UPDATE: HUAWEI has released the full-on Mate 60 Pro+ and Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design flagships as well.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The Mate 60 and Mate 60 Pro both feature an LTPO OLED Full HD+ display with an adaptive 1 to 120Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling rate. The differentiating factor? The Mate 60 Pro has a tad bigger 6.82-inch screen over Mate 60’s 6.69-inches.

Still, both have DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut and 1.07 Billion Colors plus 1440Hz high frequency PWM dimming. These provide better colors, smoother brightness levels, and extend the display’s overall lifespan.

Both phones are also covered with Second Generation Kunlun Glass for drops and IP68 for water and dust resistance protection. And just like any HUAWEI phone in China, it’s powered by HarmonyOS 4 (or HongmengOS).

A new breed of punch hole

While it was first rumored that the upcoming Mate 60 series will have a Dynamic Island-like punch hole, HUAWEI decided to implement a rather unique way or should we say “pill-less” cutout, removing the iPhone’s software-optimized pill and just left the holes intact on screen.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

This new cutout implementation is a first of its kind as most Android smartphones are either with single or dual pill-shaped ones. This also ditches the aging notch of the previous Mate model.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The trio punch hole houses its selfie camera plus its 3D face recognition sensor. This is also the main differentiating factor against its Mate 60 sibling with a single punch hole cutout on its front instead.

If you have trypophobia (or the fear of seeing multiple small holes), don’t fret! There’s a built-in option to hide the three hole cutout and transform it into a pill-shaped punch-hole.

Kirin comeback

HUAWEI has finally ended its reliance towards Qualcomm and their Snapdragon chipset. The Mate 60 Pro is now powered again by Huawei’s in-house chipset — making a comeback ever since the Kirin 9000-equipped Mate 40 Pro from 2021.

While this isn’t officially listed in their website (just like how they don’t mention official RAM information in the P60 series), leaked benchmarks show that it’s powered by a Kirin 9000s chipset based on a 5nm process. The latest Kirin processor also brings back 5G connectivity to Huawei smartphones — a must in a tech-advanced country like China.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

The P60-exclusive feature also made its way on the Mate 60 series with its satellite communication technology. This feature enables a user to send and receive messages when there’s no ground signal — much like Apple’s Emergency SOS via Satellite.

Quite similar hardware

The Mate 60 series are available in a lone 12GB RAM with three storage choices: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Storage expansion is still possible thanks to its NM Memory Card slot support of up to 256GB.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Battery capacities and charging speeds are also not identical. The Pro variant has a bigger battery capacity at 5000mAh with 88W wired SuperCharge support. On the other hand, the Mate 60 instead has a lower 4750mAh battery and slower 66W charging. Both can be charged using the fast 50W wireless SuperCharge charger but only the Mate 60 Pro supports 20W reverse wireless charging.

Lastly, HUAWEI boasts its new “Xuanwu architecture” (or Xuanwu design). The fusion of an ultra-strong basalt body and ultra-durable brocade fiber material alongside their tougher second-generation Kunlun Glass gives the phone an added three-layer of protection and strength, as well as overall reliability.

Familiar camera system

You can barely tell the camera improvements on the HUAWEI Mate 60 Pro over last year’s Mate 50 Pro, at least on paper.

It still has that XMAGE Camera System that debuted during last year’s model. Its 50MP wide camera is similar with a dual-variable aperture between f/1.4 to f/4.0. Selfie camera seems unchanged too with its 13MP f/2.4 ultra-wide shooter.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

So what has changed in the Mate 60 Pro? Well, the ultra-wide angle lens was changed to a 12MP (versus 13MP), but still has the same f/2.2 lens opening and 120-degree Field of View (FoV).

Even the telephoto zoom lens isn’t safe from the megapixel downsizing as its lowered from 64MP to 48MP — though similarly having a 3.5x optical zoom but with a slightly wider f/3.0 aperture (vs f/3.5).

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

For the base Mate 60, the setup is quite interesting because it has a 12MP f/3.4 periscope telephoto zoom lens that optically zooms in farther at 5x instead of Mate 60 Pro’s 3.5x. Digital zoom is limited to 50x though (vs 100x on the Pro variant).

8K video fans shouldn’t expect anything grand as video recording is limited to 4K 30/60fps, still with OIS.

Pricing and availability

The HUAWEI Mate 60 Series are available in four different dual-tone shades: Yachuan Green, White Sand Silver, Nannuo Purple, and Yadan Black.

The green and silver options have a Kunlun Glass top while the purple and black variants have a faux leather texture instead.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Despite having three storage options, only one configuration option (12GB + 512GB) is listed per model:

  • Mate 60 = CNY 5999 (US$ 822 / EUR 761 / GBP 654 / SG$ 1155 / PhP 46,673 / INR 68,085)
  • Mate 60 Pro = CNY 6999 (US$ 956 / EUR 888 / GBP 763 / SG$ 1301 / PhP 54,453 / INR 79,435)

Unfortunately, based from Android Authority’s report, HUAWEI has no plans launching the Mate 60 Pro globally. This is mostly due to the fact that it ships with the new Kirin 5G chipset.

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TECNO’s SPARK 50 Pro is the latest budget smartphone battery beast

Just two months after the SPARK 50 5G

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TECNO SPARK 50 Pro

One after another, TECNO launches the SPARK 50 Pro with a beastly battery within. That’s just days after the grand launch of the POVA 8 5G in India.

Built to last

The icing of the cake has got to be the battery of the SPARK 50 Pro. However, the battery capacity will differ depending on where you live.

There’s a 5600mAh dual-cell version and a slightly larger single-cell model hitting the 6000mAh mark.

TECNO SPARK 50 Pro

Still, despite that battery capacity, it measures just 7.8mm thin.

If you’re worried about battery longevity, the SPARK 50 Pro can still last more than 80% of their original battery capacity — even after 1900+ charging cycles in six years.

Charging support is faster at 60W, better than what TECNO’s 45W speeds in their most recent smartphones.

TECNO SPARK 50 Pro 6000mAh battery

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Beneath that battery lies MediaTek’s Helio G100 Ultimate SoC. When it comes to memory, it allows up to 24GB extended thanks to Memory Fusion 4.0.

Up front, there’s a 6.78-inch 120Hz display paired with DTS-supported dual stereo speakers.

Finally, the SPARK 50 Pro also boasts SGS Five-Star durability certification alongside IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance — making it one of the budget-friendly devices to have such durability rating.

More than meets the eye

Unlike the base SPARK 50 5G, the SPARK 50 Pro is powered by a 50MP Sony LYTIA 600 (or LYT-600) main camera. The said sensor promises improved low-light performance compared to typical cameras in its category.

The company is also bringing its TECNO’s very-own FlashSnap capabilities found in higher CAMON series. This feature offers shutter speeds of up to 1/10,000 of a second to better capture fast-moving subjects like pets, sports, or action shots.

TECNO Ella AI Assistant

Speaking of, TECNO’s Universal Tone technology also returns, aiming to produce more natural-looking skin tones across different environments.

Several AI-powered editing tools are included as well. That includes AI Eraser 2.0 and AI Extender for photos, AI Noise Cancellation for clearer calls, as well as AI Health Assistant. Even Ella as your AI Assistant was not left behind.

For off the grid communication, FreeLink 2.0 exists when needed.

Pricing and Availability

The TECNO SPARK 50 Pro comes in five color choices: Ink Black, Titanium Grey, Midnight Blue, Dynamic Orange, and Cloud White.

TECNO SPARK 50 Pro

TECNO has yet to announce official pricing and regional availability.

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Nothing is coming to over 500 Best Buy stores in the United States

Also available online

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As the newest kid on the block, Nothing hasn’t made it terribly easy to grab one of their phones. But that’s all part of the allure. After all, fashion shouldn’t be easy.

Thankfully, all that difficulty isn’t forever. Nothing, together with all its phones and accessories, are coming to over 500 Best Buys across the United States.

It’s been a long time coming. Last year, Nothing expanded first in Canada as part of its push to spread across the North American continent. Now, after all the wait, the brand is finally available in one of the other North American country’s biggest retailers for tech.

From coast to coast, fans of the fashionable brand can grab the Phone (4a) Pro, the Headphone (a), the Phone (3), and the Ear (3) at their nearest Best Buy branch. Alternatively, they can also order any of these devices online through BestBuy.com.

It’s been a quiet year for Nothing. Though the brand successfully launched the Phone (4a) Pro series earlier this year, it has no plans to launch a follow-up to last year’s Phone (3) yet, leaving the flagship market hanging by another year. That said, there’s still much to love about the brand this year, from its heavily notable designs to its capable specs.

SEE ALSO: Nothing Phone (4a) + (4a) Pro review

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TECNO’s POVA 8 5G is both futuristic and future-ready

8000mAh battery, Sony LYTIA 600 camera, Alive Matrix display, and more

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TECNO POVA 8 5G
Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Four months after the POVA Curve 2 5G, TECNO adds the POVA 8 5G to their performance-focused arsenal.

Futuristic vibe

TECNO’s POVA 8 5G continues the series’ signature sci-fi-inspired design language. The latest smartphone features sharp geometric elements and a semi-transparent rear panel.

TECNO POVA 8 5G

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

One of its standout features is none other than the new Alive Matrix Display. It’s a customizable light panel on the back that can display 49 pre-loaded lighting effects for incoming calls, notifications, charging status, gaming sessions, and more. Prospective users can also personalize scenarios to match their style and could actually store many more customized effects aside from the pre-loaded ones.

Beside that LED display lies the 50MP main rear camera based on Sony’s LYTIA 600 (or LYT-600) sensor. The said sensor offers improved light capture for brighter and more detailed photos. It also supports 2x lossless zoom. Up front, you’ll get a 13MP front-facing shooter.

Sony LYTIA 600

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Powering the device is MediaTek’s Dimensity 7100 SoC. That’s paired together with TECNO’s in-house G1 Signal Enhancement Chip and SE1 Wi-Fi Enhancement Chip — making it a triple chipset smartphone.

TECNO says these chips help improve connectivity in challenging environments such as elevators and basements while boosting Wi-Fi reception.

The phone also features a 144Hz display with TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light Certification and military-grade durability.

Last but definitely not the least, its 8000mAh battery that can last as much as two days. For some measure, TECNO says the phone can last up to 85+ hours of music playback, 29+ hours of YouTube streaming, 26+ hours of WhatsApp, or 14+ hours of playing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB).

Future-ready

Aside from the beastly battery packed inside, TECNO is also bringing several practical AI tools to the POVA 8 5G.

Among them is AI YouTube Summary. This turns lengthy videos into concise notes with key points and timestamps. The device also features AI-powered noise cancellation that helps isolate the speaker’s voice during calls, recordings, and meetings.

8000mAh Battery

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

For photography, AI LightMaster 2.0 can remove unwanted reflections, lens flare, and shadows. The phone also supports uploading Live Photos directly to Instagram as Boomerang.

In select markets, users can even access AI Health features that estimate metrics such as heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and respiration through facial scanning technology.

TECNO POVA 8 5G

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Further solidifying its future readiness, TECNO promises two major Android OS upgrades and three years of security updates.

The company is also bundling three years of FREE 256GB cloud storage for POVA 8 5G users. Eligible markets can also receive a 3-month Google AI Plus trial which includes 2TB of cloud storage.

Pricing and Availability

The TECNO POVA 8 5G debuts first in India and is available in 16-Bit White, Terminal Green, and Plasma Orange colorways.

Specific pricing and availability in global markets are yet to follow along these four color choices: Arc White, Graphite Black, Echo Green, and Helios Orange.

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