News
Huawei Mate X2 now official, features a no gap, perfect fold
New standard of the foldable form factor?
Despite its struggles everywhere else in the world, Huawei continuous to get strong support in its home country China. This is why it’s no surprise that the company has again launched a premium device there. This time it’s their latest foldable — the Huawei Mate X2.
No compromise displays
Like with any foldable, a bulk of the presentation centered around what they did with the hinge as well as the device and the displays’ dimensions.
When folded it looks like just any regular smartphone. The OLED display measures 6.45-inches with a 21:9 aspect ratio. That’s something new for Huawei but if you’re familiar with Sony Xperia smartphones, they’ve been rocking that aspect ratio for a while now to mimic the widescreen we see in movie theaters. The display also has a 240Hz refresh rate.
There’s also a punch hole on the upper left area of the display for the front-facing camera which shares the ultra wide angle view of other mate series selfie shooters.
Unfold it and you’ll be greeted by an 8.01-inch Ultra High resolution display with a 180Hz screen refresh rate. The screen aspect ratio is 8:7.1 with Huawei claiming that it’s exactly like having two regular smartphone displays side-by-side. Unlike its competitors, the larger unfolded display has no cutouts for cameras. You’re getting all of that display clean and free of distractions.
No gaps
The crowning glory of the device is of course the Multi-Dimensional Hinge design. With it, Huawei was able to achieve the “perfect fold” — one that has no gaps.
Huawei did two things to make this possible. First is the water drop-shaped cavity supported by a dual spiral structure for stowing the display when the Mate X2 is folded. Second is the interesting decision to taper the device when its unfolded. This means the right side is thicker than the left side with the thinnest side measuring just 4.4mm.
Camera module
The uneven sides isn’t just for achieving the no gap fold. The thicker area houses the Ultra Vision Quad Camera. It’s headlined by the 50MP Super Sensing Wide Camera — the same one found on the Mate 40 Pro. It also has a 20MP telephoto camera that’s able to get up to 10X optical zoom, 20X hybrid zoom, and 100X digital zoom. Then there’s a 16MP ultra wide camera for landscape shooting, and an 8MP SuperZoom lens for macro shots.
Kirin inside
It’s a flagship product so naturally it comes with a flagship chip. Powering the Huawei Mate X2 is the Kirin 9000 5G — again the same one found on the high performing Mate 40 Pro. The same chip also supports 5G connectivity. You’re also getting a 4500mAh battery with support for 55W Huawei SuperCharge.
The chip also powers the device for several of its multi-tasking features like Smart Multi-Window, Floating Window, App Multiplier, and many others. The presentation didn’t explicitly say this but it is still likely running EMUI 11 on top of Android 10. However, it was shown that it will move to Harmony OS by April 2021.
Pricing and availability
The Huawei Mate X2 comes in four colors: White, Black, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Pink. It will be available only in China for now starting February 25. Pricing are as follows:
- 256GB – CNY 17,999 (around US$ 2,784)
- 512GB – CNY 18,999(around US$ 2,940)
It also comes with a nifty cover that has a magnetic kickstand which costs CNY 299 (around US$ 47) .
News
This Nokia phone can also be a powerbank
The Nokia 300 Charge has a 3700mAh battery that can charge other devices.
Did you know that the original Nokia 3310 had only up to 1000mAh of battery life per charge? And yet, a single charge is enough to last ages. That’s because a “dumb” phone doesn’t really need a lot of juice to work. But what if you stick a larger battery onto a dumb phone. Well, you can get a phone that can double as a powerbank, and that’s just what the new Nokia 300 Charge is.
Despite the abundance of smarter options today, dumb phones, especially those from Nokia, can still find a home in the hands of those who don’t want to feel connected 24/7. Now, there’s another use for a dumb phone: a savior for your main phone.
The Nokia 300 Charge has a sizable 3700mAh battery. Powering the phone, the battery can supposedly last up to 40 hours on standby. However, it can also double as a powerbank for your other devices, which is a basic 10W reverse wired charging with an included 4-in-1 cable.
Technically, a 3700mAh powerbank is sorely inadequate for today’s devices that often go beyond 5000mAh already. Still, if you’re in a tight situation, the Nokia 300 Charge might be a lifesaver.
In addition to saving your devices from an empty battery, the phone can also save you from darkness with a built-in LED flashlight.
Inside, you’ll get a basic Unisoc SC6531E chipset with 4GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. For that added flavor of nostalgia, the Nokia 300 Charge comes with a retro QVGA camera.
HMD has not announced when the phone will come out or its price, but you can expect it to be cheaper than most phones today.
Gaming
Stage Tour is resurrecting your Rock Band childhood
You can rock the guitar, the drums, or vocals to your favorite songs.
A new Witcher 3 DLC, a new Final Fantasy VII, Mega Man, Rayman, and Crazy Taxi. What year is it again? With games as nostalgic as these coming out, there’s one game that can complete the circle: Rock Band. Now, resurrecting an era of rhythm games, Stage Tour will have you playing the guitar, the drums, or vocals in a star-studded game with a lot of iconic tracks.
For those who played through the classic Guitar Hero or Rock Band, Stage Tour needs no introduction. However, if you’re new to the scene, the game simply puts you into the shoes of a rock band. You can wield a guitar, a set of drums, or a microphone. And yes, the game comes with a customized controller for each instrument.
As for the soundtrack, you can rock and jam to a lot of the catchiest songs from yesteryear to today including titles from BABYMETAL, Paramore, Slipknot, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Black Eyed Peas, Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, Metallica, Walk the Moon, and Olivia Rodrigo.
Stage Tour launches on December 10 for all major platforms like PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Switch 2. You can also grab their official accessories through their site, but they do cost a pretty penny.
Gaming
HoYoverse’s Nodusfall looks like nothing they’ve ever made before
But it looks so similar to Elden Ring or Dark Souls.
There’s a certain aesthetic you’ll always expect whenever you see HoYoverse mentioned. Touting long-standing hits like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, the publisher’s games often have bright and appealing aesthetics, bolstered by highly attractive characters to get you into the gacha groove. However, for the first time, HoYoverse is trying something completely different: Nodusfall, an action RPG that looks and feels like Elden Ring.
Revealed at today’s gamescom, Nodusfall teases a deeply fantastical setting focusing on Weavers taking on ferocious monsters and divine entities. Players will be able to take on these challenges with, based on the trailer, four players. Each player can wield an assortment of weapons including a greatsword, a regular sword, a bow, and magic. The trailer also teases spells that can transform the player into a divine being themselves.
As for the enemies, they have a strangely striking resemblance to other games you might have played before. One is a grizzled warrior who beheads a giant lion, something that’s shockingly identical to Hoarah Loux in Elden Ring. Another rides a dragon, similar to the Nameless King from Dark Souls 3.
Comparisons aside, Nodusfall is an impressive transformation for HoYoverse. Since forever, the publisher thrived on anime aesthetics, highlighted these days by the godly trilogy of Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero.
HoYoverse hasn’t revealed the release date of Nodusfall just yet, but we’re excited to see it in action.
SEE ALSO: HoYoverse’s first life sim, Petit Planet, opens Stardrift Test sign-ups
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