Samsung Gear VR : Amazing but it will be a one-time watch for most

 

The Gear VR is powered by recent Samsung handsets, such as the Galaxy S6, S7 and S7 Edge (pictured)IBTimes UK

Virtual reality has bubbled below the surface of the general public's consciousness for some time, only cropping up when a geeky friend talks breathlessly about its potential, or when journalists try out yet another expensive prototype. But all that is about to change as Samsung begins marketing its latest headset, the Gear VR, alongside the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge smartphones.

We reviewed the original Gear VR 'innovator edition' a year ago, but much has changed since those early days. For a start, the price has fallen from £170 then to £80 for the new Gear VR, and many Samsung fans will have just got theirs for free as part of a giveaway to everyone who pre-ordered the new S7 or S7 Edge.

VR is now in more hands and at a lower price than ever before. But with the technology improving all the time and new headsets out later this year, is this the time to jump on the VR bandwagon? We put the latest Gear VR through its paces to find out.

Samsung Gear VR: Design

Will we look back on headsets like the Gear VR in 20 years' time and laugh at their size, just as we do now at old mobile phones? My colleague asks an interesting question, but for now we're stuck with looking like cyborgs. Having said that, the new Gear VR is 40% smaller than the last model and there have been a few useful updates.

The Oculus store is where apps, games, videos and 'experiences' for the Gear VR are downloaded IBTimes UK

The first and most obvious is how the trackpad has been given the layout of a D-pad to help make swiping up, down, left and right easier. Tapping the middle acts as select, while the back and volume buttons are the same as before. Also unchanged is the Gear VR's lack of a battery, as the entire thing is powered by your smartphone, which connects onto the front through its microUSB port.

Despite its size, the Gear VR is comfortable to wear thanks to padding around the front and two adjustable straps. I would have liked the front to wrap more tightly around my face, however, as light would leak in and produce two reflections in my field of view.

Samsung Gear VR: Setup and controls

One of the most challenging aspects of VR is trying to instruct people how to use it. The user interface is unfamiliar, the controls are unsighted and the instructor can't see what the user can. Thankfully the Gear VR's setup process and interface is simple and there are some useful tutorials which talk you through the controls and how to adjust the focus of the lenses before you start.

The Gear VR is controlled by a simple track pad and back buttonIBTimes UK

Most of the interface is navigated by moving your head to look at what you want, then tapping the trackpad to select it. Pressing the back button takes you back a page (obviously) and a prolonged press brings up a menu for adjusting the brightness, returning to the home page, and activating the 'pass through' camera, where you can see what's in front of you by using the phone's rear camera.

No Samsung phone comes with VR software installed, but as soon as you connect it to the Gear VR you are asked to download a suite of applications to the phone, including the Oculus store which is where all manner of VR games, apps, videos and other experiences can be downloaded from. Once installed, you can browse the Oculus store on the phone itself, rather than strapping on the Gear VR, and start downloading apps. Now it's time to play...

Samsung Gear VR: Software, apps and games

Navigating around the Gear VR's user interface is simple. The interface is set out in a grid and all you have to do is look at what you want (there's a small dot in the middle of your field of view) then tap the touchpad to make a selection. It can be overwhelming at first and difficult to know what to do first, so a good place to start is probably the video selection.

The Gear VR is comfortable to wear, but some light can leak in from the sides and reflect off the lensesIBTimes UK

GoPro have a great catalogue of 360-degree action videos, mostly taken from helmet cams and selfie sticks. NextVR is another good video app which includes live 180-degree broadcasts from a wide range of events, from golf and motorsport to the US presidential debates. VRSE is another video app which includes high-quality documentaries and storytelling from Vice and others.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S7 duo on the back of a performance by Years & Years. The performance is available for free on the Oculus store and neatly shows how VR can turn something we're all familiar with - a band performing on stage - into an entirely new experience. Multiple cameras are used to give different viewpoints, including one which flies above the performance from one side of the room to the other. Another snippet of VR shows what Cirque du Soleil is like when you're on stage with the performers.

For US readers, Samsung's Milk VR store offers up loads more VR content, including 360-degree roller coaster rides and in-car footage from a Nascar race. Unfortunately, Milk VR isn't yet available in the UK.

More about virtual reality

 Best Samsung Gear VR apps and games from the Oculus store – VR Karts, Land's End and Netflix How to set up Gear VR with Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge VR porn is a game changer – 'The whole idea of porn has been leading to this moment'

Although fun, this has all been fairly passive so far. So let's head into the gaming section and see what's what. VR Karts makes great use of Samsung's Bluetooth gamepad, putting you in the driving seat of a game similar to Mario Kart, complete with speed boosts and weapons.

Other than VR Karts, we found very few games actually require the gamepad. Perhaps this is a good thing, given that Samsung no longer sells it, but relying on the Gear VR as your only input device can feel limiting. Tapping and swiping the touchpad is fine for menus but far from ideal as a game controller.

There are only a handful of apps and games for now, and some are expensive at £7.99, but more will undoubtedly followIBTimes UK

Instead, many games can be controlled and navigated solely by looking around and focusing on certain targets to progress or make decisions. The much more expensive Oculus Rift and HTC Vive will appeal to gaming enthusiasts when they launch later this year, leaving the Gear VR to win the hearts of casual and mobile gamers who put value and fun ahead of graphical performance.

While the £80 Gear VR offers great value compared to the £689 HTC Vive, most games for the Samsung headset are relatively expensive. Many cost £7.99, so it doesn't take long at all before you have spent a quarter or even half of the Gear VR's price again on apps. Some are also quite short and offer less appeal to play again than similarly-priced (or cheaper) games on iOS and Android. It is early days though and this will likely change.

Our verdict

Samsung Gear VR

    

If ever you needed an excuse to get into VR, then this is it. Owners of all recent flagship Samsungs can now get their hands on good VR experiences for £80. It isn't perfect, because the resolution is still quite low, resulting in slightly grainy video which at times is difficult to focus on.

That said, the rest of the experience is excellent. The Gear VR is easy to set up and use, comfortable, and already offers a wide range of content for the casual gamer and VR enthusiast. VR is currently at the stage mobile phones were at when they resembled house bricks. The technology will improve greatly, it will get much smaller and it will become cheaper over the coming years.

As technology reporters, we sometimes forget how fortunate we are to try all of the latest gadgets from day one. Giving the Gear VR to a friend and watching their reaction as they experience VR for the first time is a truly special moment. It has a much greater effect than 3D ever did, it is much more exciting than Google Glass, and it is more recognisably a game changer than even the first iPod, iPhone and iPad were.

The GoodAffordableComfortableEasy to useThe BadResolution could be betterSome light leaks inGames are relatively expensive

Sony Xperia Tablet Z. When one talks about tablets,

When one talks about tablets, it’s basically a one-way street. It’s all about the iPad, especially in the 10.1-inch category because no Android OEM has gotten around to make a really premium 10-inch plus tablet that would take on the iPad. Additionally, the UI and app scaling problems of Android get exaggerated on the 10-inch form factor. All that said and done, Sony believes it can pull off a rabbit out of its hat and deliver a tablet that’s not only premium, but matches the iPad spec for spec. And indeed that is true with the Xperia Tablet Z which is not only the lightest and thinnest 10.1-inch tablet in the world but also is waterproof and boasts a number of spec sheet niceties that would make a Cupertino faithful cringe. But at Rs 46,990 does it provide an experience that is comparable to the iPad with Retina Display and deliver good value. Read on to find out more.

Design and Build

Android tablets have had the untenable distinction of not being well built, leave alone being handsome. Just think about it, most Android products for that matter are made up of cheap plastics and are always trying to hit a certain price, but no OEM has set the bar high and aimed for Apple’s throat with a premium design.

Props to Sony because with the Xperia Tablet Z it has changed this notion as the device is the thinnest and the lightest 10.1-inch tablet in the world at 6.9mm and 495 grams without being flimsy. This is no Samsung tablet, Sony uses copious amounts of high quality plastics, and it has built a product, which is waterproof and dustproof.

In fact, while the matte plastic finish is very supple on the hands, instead of feeling slimy like a Samsung product, it does tend to get smudged by sweat and grease, a LOT. We think it’s safe to say, you’ll have a hard time keeping the tablet clean.

Yes, Asus has also made premium Android tablets, but like the Transformer Prime, which was also more expensive , so Sony is sort of a lone ranger currently.

When we compare the tablet to the iPad with Retina display, one has to give it to Sony that they have built a product that feels like a rock and yet feels more ergonomic to use. Obviously, there is no getting away from the wide Android aspect ratio, but for a 10.1-inch tablet, the Xperia Tablet Z was much more comfortable to use with one hand.

In typical Sony fashion, on the left we have the circular aluminum machined Sony power button. We found the placement to a bit odd for landscape use, but when we flipped it to portrait, this became a bigger issue, as now the button was on the top. Sony also decided to place the volume rocker, right below it. Above the power button, is the 3.5 mm audio jack, which was hidden courtesy a plastic door that remained suspended. Though if one had to predict, extensive use of this door will result it in getting detached, which in turn will render the waterproofing useless.

Both the sides are also home to stereo speakers, but these are not forward firing hence don’t have the ear opening effect of the boomsound speakers of the HTC One.

On the bottom side, the Xperia Tablet Z had two hidden compartments – One for the microUSB port and one for the microSIM and microSD card slot.

The front of the tablet was dominated by the massive 10.1-inch Bravia Engine powered LCD display which has a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels. Just above the screen we have the 2.2-megapixel camera that can shoot 1080p video.

On the back, there is a 8.1-megapixel camera, which has a Sony Exmor R sensor on the top left side, but there is no flash. Beneath the back panel there is a non-removable 6,000-mAh battery.

Design wise, Sony has nailed it with the Xperia Tablet Z, especially for a product that wants to compete with the iPad. In fact, its ergonomics are fantastic as its stark rectangular shape gives the impression of an awkward experience, but in reality the sides are subtly tapered and its pure svelte form just add to the usability.

On a side note, we have to say that of all the 10.1-inch tablets, we actually could consider using this one as an e-book reader in portrait mode just because it was so thin and light to use with a single hand. More so than even the iPad and we managed to finish Dan Brown’s Inferno in three days on a reading binge. That by the way, also speaks volumes about the display too, about which we will elaborate later.

Hardware

In terms of pure specs, in the world of Android, the Xperia Tablet Z does not offer the best of the best considering it is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro chipset, which hums along at 1.5GHz with four cores. We have seen newer chipsets like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 and the Nvidia Tegra 4 on mobile devices, but we believe since there is no real competition to the Xperia Tablet Z currently, this should be a non-issue. Plus, the Snapdragon S4 Pro is a pretty badass chipset in its own right and is the heart of the Google Nexus 4, so it should be able to more than hold its own up against the iPad if it’s a straight up dual.

There is also 2GB of RAM, which works in concert with the Snapdragon S4 Pro, and it has 16GB of internal storage. Another benefit of the Qualcomm chipset is the 3G connectivity, which can be accessed via the microSD card slot.

But still for a tablet that costs Rs 46,990, the memory seems a little steep, but Sony is throwing in another 16GB memory card to sweeten the deal a bit.

The Xperia Tablet Z has an IR blaster that runs through a Remote Control app, which could theoretically convert the tablet into a universal remote. The Xperia branding doubles up as the NFC chip.

But the real star of the show is the 10.1-inch display, which has a resolution of 1920×1200 pixels. Thankfully, the display on the Xperia Tablet Z is much better than the one on the Xperia Z smartphone. Especially, when we talk about the black levels because the viewing angles remain much better and generally we get a deeper shade of black. However, the iPad still renders blacks better. As far as the color reproduction is concerned, to the naked eye we found it to be very accurate and not super saturated like an AMOLED display. Overall, the palette was on the cooler side of things, and legibility under direct sunlight also remained pretty good.

We enjoyed watching movies on it, and when it came down to reading content on it, the came through and did not put a lot of strain on our eyes.

Software

Sony’s Android skins have always been rather usable and the Xperia Tablet Z is no different. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and comes with its own set of customizations. Some are good, some are not.

As usual we get standard Sony apps bundled. These include the Walkman music player, Album, which replaces the gallery app, Movies, which is your one stop for video content and the Sony Select app store, which offers a curated list of apps. The Indian version of the tablet also comes the Sony Music app, which is powered, by Infibeam and the Sony Liv app for local Indian content from the Sony’s channels in India.

Sony still insists on adding shortcuts for its Music Unlimited and Video Unlimited services on the homescreen. Both these shortcuts masquerade as full apps, but essentially they are shortcuts designed to lure the consumer to sign-in to the service.

Another neat addition is the presence of ‘mini apps’. Mini apps on the Xperia Tablet Z allows the user to launch a number of app widgets from anywhere in OS via a shortcut on the bottom bar which also includes the software Android buttons and notifications.

So users can launch a mini web browser, a calculator, a clip manager, a notes widget, a sound recorder, the remote control app and timer. While this is a neat addition, users don’t have access to multi-window like multitasking the way Samsung implements it on its Android devices.

The Xperia Tablet Z is also a PlayStation Certified tablet. That said, we could not find many graphically intensive games on the Sony Select store.

Sony’s remote control app worked well with the built-in IR blaster. We tested a Sony Blu-Ray home theater and a Samsung HDTV and both worked as advertised. We managed to setup multiple devices with the app including a TV, a Blu-Ray player and the PlayStation 3, but could not manage to connect our Tata Sky HD+ set top box with it. While this was not surprising we could achieve the same on the Samsung Galaxy Note 510 after a bit of tinkering.

Sony preloads an Office suite on the Xperia Tablet Z, but it only offers viewing capabilities and user will need to purchase the pro version of the app for editing.

We have always been fans of the Sony Walkman app. It is not only a gorgeous looking music player, but isnalso quite intuitive to use. Additionally, it also offers the user a gamut of EQ controls something which one cannot do by default on the iPad.

While all this was good, major issues with Android on a 10-inch tablets remained. For instance, there not even half as many tablet optimized apps on Android as there are on the iPad. Google has announced steps like the Android Studio development tool to mitigate this issue, but at the time of writing we still face issues like poorly scaling Facebook or Twitter apps. These are basic apps that every person uses and if the experience is not comparable to the iPad then it will turn out to be a deal breaker for the consumer.

Performance

As we mentioned earlier, in the age of the Snapdragon 600 CPUs, a product that costs Rs 46,990 should have the latest CPU, nothing less. However, the fact that the Xperia Tablet Z comes with the quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro CPU is not a bad thing, as in real world usage the performance for an Android tablet is absolutely first class. We have played around with the Google Nexus 10, and we found no discernable difference in performance. This was expected since we don’t only have a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro clocked at 1.5GHz, but also 2GB of RAM, which is ample for Android these days.

Even in terms of benchmarks, the Xperia Tablet Z was the best performing tablet we have tested to date. Obviously, it benchmarked lower than the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4, but considering we still do not have a tablet that is powered by a next generation chipset, Sony’s product comes out on top.

When compared to the fourth generation iPad with Retina Display, we’d say the iPad was surely a small step ahead in real world performance. While the Xperia Tablet Z would show rare signs of a discernable lag while swiping through the homescreen or pinching to zoom in the web browser.

Surprisingly though we found the graphics performance of the Adreno 320 GPU on the Xperia Tablet Z to be superior to the iPad. We played games like Real Racing 3, Dead Trigger and Shadowgun and we found the graphics to be more detailed and the Xperia Tablet Z reproduced more detailed shader effects.

The 8.1-megapixel camera in the rear is better than most cameras shipped on tablets, but we still don’t like the idea of taking an image with a 10-inch tablet. It has an Exmor R sensor, but its main issues stem from the below par camera software that is shipped with the tablet. For instance, the camera only focuses on the subject after the shutter button has been pressed. Luckily, most of the camera features from the Xperia Z smartphone also are available on the Xperia Tablet Z. So features like Superior Auto mode, HDR, Burst, Sweep Panorama make a reappearance. Another weird bit is that the while Sony advertises the 8.1-megapixel camera resolution, the tablet can only shoot at 7-megapixels at max, and by default it shoots at 5-megapixels.

Sony has made a lot of noise about the waterproofing on the tablet. We poured and dipped the tablet in water a few times and it came out unscathed. Though one has to ensure all port doors are closed, otherwise water can seep through and wreck havoc with the device.

The Xperia Tablet Z also impressed us with its battery life. It lasted around 8 hours and 45 minutes consistently with 3G turned on. We would constantly browse the web using the tablet and would always be hooked to Gmail, Hangouts, Facebook, Twitter and we basically replaced our TV remote with the built-in IR blaster. We also used the tablet to watched YouTube videos at great length and tablet always crossed the 8 hours on a single charge. Of course, the iPad does better pretty consistently, but for most this is just a negligible difference.

Verdict

The Sony Xperia Tablet Z is the best 10.1-inch Android tablet we have ever reviewed at BGR India, but is that enough? Well, at Rs 46,990, the answer for the average consumer is no because the 32GB 3G iPad is not only cheaper but simply has so many more apps designed specifically for the tablet. Plus the performance of the iPad is also superior for most tasks.

While, the iPad remains our favorite tablet, if one is looking for an 10.1-inch Android tablet, the Xperia Tablet Z remains a great option, simply because it’s the most well designed and most up market Android tablet currently available. Additionally, for an Android device it also performs pretty well, but its main stumbling block remains its astronomical price of Rs 46,990, which we think is far from ideal in a price sensitive market like India.

Photographs: faical ELFAQIR

Why this is - iPhone 6s Plus -

The Apple iPhone 6s Plus (128GB) is clearly the most expensive smartphone in the Indian market if you take Vertu and other such luxury brands out of the picture. You don’t really need to spend Rs 92,000 on a smartphone now, as even Rs 20,000 phones give good features and user experience. But that does not mean no one will buy an expensive phone these days. There is a reasonably large market for expensive phones, driven by people who want a top-end device for its performance, dependability or just flaunt value.

I lived a week with the Apple iPhone 6s Plus (128GB) and here are my takeaways.

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FIRST IMPRESSION

This was my second stint with the new iPhone, as I had played with it a bit in the US. But this was the time first time I did a full setup for the phone. Since I use an iPad set-up was relatively easy. One slightly frustrating bit in contrast to Android is the fact that you can’t set up an iOS phone without a SIM.

The first thing that I noticed about the iPhone 6s Plus is its weight. It is for sure heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus, though the difference might be insignificant. And it is also among the heavier phones I have used. The design is not very different from the iPhone 6, though Apple claims to have used better material and aircraft grade aluminium. The phone also feels a bit thicker than its predecessor.

Watch our video review of the Apple iPhone 6s Plus

3D TOUCH

This is for sure the cutting edge feature everyone is looking forward to in the new iPhones. My first take is that it does take some getting used to. Actually, the first press goes against your natural inclination to not put too much stress on anything made of glass. The hard press activates the Peek and leads to a preview on mail, open quick options on compatible apps and gives you options when you get a link on iMessage.

Watch our video of using 3D Touch on the Apple iPhone 6s Plus

Push it a bit more and you have the Pop, which for instance opens the mail you were previewing. Over the week, I noticed that I don’t use the 3D Touch a lot on the apps or mail. The one place I use it is with is the Live Photos in the gallery, pushing to make them come to life.

Apple’s iPhone 6s Plus is definitely heavier than the previous iPhone 6 Plus.

CAMERA

I am moving to the iPhone after a series of Android phones that touted great cameras — the OnePlus 2, Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ and Samsung Galaxy Note 5. So my expectations are generally high. So much so that for my past few trips I have kept the DSLR safely in its bag. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus feature the cool new Live Photo option. It almost adds life to your still photos by sandwiching it with some seconds of video. The entire thing starts looking like a GIF and is brought to life with the 3D Touch.

Sample shot from the Apple iPhone 6s Plus.Sample shot from the Apple iPhone 6s Plus.

All photos are shot in live mode by default, but you can disable the same if you want to save space. The still image is just half the fun, the flood of expressions that come before and after that split second adds so much value to the memory. However, the catch is that for now you cannot view these photos outside the Apple ecosystem. We will need to wait for Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to come up with support for this new format. I found a new app called Live GIF that lets you save Live Photos as GIFs or video and share on social network. The clarity takes a hit, but it is a good way to show the world these lively pictures.

Overall, the iPhone 6s Plus seems to be among the best smartphone cameras. What I like best is the fact that pictures look natural in the end and not over-saturated and over-processed as it ends up being on many Android phones. And the colour reproduction as well as eye for detail is second to none. There are a couple of other unique features too.
Sample shot taken from an iPhone 6s Plus.

For instance, Apple has started using the display to light up your face while clicking a selfie. And the best thing here is that the phone recognises the ambient light and calibrates the screen with it so that the flash looks natural and you do not end up looking like that image on your voter ID card.

Watch our video of the Apple iPhone 6S Plus Slo-Mode and 4K resolution

The other cool feature is 4K video. Nothing really new for I first used ultra HD in a camera phone two years ago. But Apple gets one thing right, keeping the phone cool while shooting in this extra high definition format. Plus, there is no other phone out there that can edit and process 4K video without breaking into a sweat or heating up. This is also a great testament to the abilities of the A9 processor.

PERFORMANCE

This has never been an issue with the iPhone. The software and hardware are synced perfectly, at least till the updates arrive, to offer a great experience for the user. The iPhone 6s Plus is no different. It is certainly among the fastest and smoothest phones I have used in a while. But more significantly is dependable. There hasn’t been a single OS freeze since I started using the device, nor has there been a surge in the thermal footprint of the phone. Even the best Android phones have been struggling with these two aspects till now.

Plus, multi-tasking has become easier and faster with iOS 9 as you now have the option of going back to the app that you opened an attachment from.

BATTERY

The perfect sync of hardware and software that I mentioned gives you dependable battery life. It is after ages that I am not carrying a charger in my bag or car. I know this phone will last without an issue. I pull the phone out with 100 per cent charge at 8 am and went to sleep at 11 pm with 17 per cent charge left. On some days, it drained a bit faster because I shot a 4K video. But this dependability is all we smartphone users need.

SIRI

There is one aspect of Android that I love and have not really been able to experience on the iOS device, at least not natively, and that is Google Now. I am addicted to the Google cards that tell me how long the drive to my office will take or when my next flight is coming up. The app is there on iOS too, but it is a standalone app and the experience is no where close. But then Apple has Siri. I have not really been impressed by Siri in India so far, because it could not pick my South Indian missionary-educated accent, nor could it give me relevant data for India.

Siri can now pronounce my name, even though a bit weirdly. Better still, she can understand my name or other Indian names when I ask for a search.

That is no longer so. Siri can now pronounce my name, even though a bit weirdly. Better still, she can understand my name or other Indian names when I ask for a search. She does try to skirt a lot of questions with a “I really couldn’t answer that,” and still cannot tell you distances in India. I think it is time Apple plugged this gap, especially since Apple maps is reasonably good and there are other data sources it can tap into for accurate data. Remember, this is a premium phone and Siri has to rise up to the role of a concierge.

VERDICT

I have now used the Apple iPhone 6s Plus for an entire working week and as my primary phone. Let me tell you this is the most relaxed I have felt with a a phone in a long time, primarily because I am not glancing at the battery icon every 10 minutes to see how long I have to go and I am not entering a new place with a recee of the power point.

Just the battery life of this phone makes it among the best smartphones in the market in my books. It also has one of the best cameras in the business and, of course, an overall experience that showcases the power of its processor and robustness of the platform.

With the extra screen size, superb processing power and battery life, the Apple iPhone 6s Plus has the potential to be the dependable business phone a lot of us want.

- See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/technology/tech-reviews/apple-iphone-6s-plus-review/#sthash.1S7FpBie.dpuf

All know what can Huawei P9

OUR VERDICT

The P9 is another accomplished smartphone from Huawei, with an innovative camera setup and plenty of power under the hood. But it's not perfect, and there are still issues with the heavy Emotion UI.

FOR

• Gorgeous design
• Powerful processor
• Good camera setup

AGAINST

• Questionable interface
• Average battery life
• Lacks fast charging

GO TO PAGE:

INTRODUCTION AND DESIGN

Huawei wants to play with the big boys. The Chinese company wants to be taken seriously as a competitor to Apple and Samsung, but right now it's rooted firmly among the second tier of Android manufacturers, competing with the likes of Sony, LG and Motorola in western markets.

A reputation for pairing high-end specs with lower prices than some of its competitors, backed up with some solid marketing, has enabled Huawei to start standing out a little from the crowd. And now the company hopes the P9, plugged with an ad campaign starring none other than Superman (Henry Cavill) can take it to the next level.

But Huawei still needs to impress people. No one buys a phone from a manufacturer they barely know without doing a little research first. Huawei knows it, and the P9 has the specs on paper, and a focus on camera technology, that will catch the eye of even the most discerning prospective purchaser.

The promotional campaign and launch event for the Huawei P9 focus mostly on the camera, but the real question on most lips is whether it holds up as a smartphone in 2016.

The price is certainly a highlight of the Huawei P9. While it's not as cheap as flagships from competitors like OnePlus or Oppo, then handset is still cheaper than an iPhone, the Samsung Galaxy S7 or anything from Sony.

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It comes in at £449.99 (about US$690, AU$900), which is roughly what a Huawei P8 would have cost you when it launched in May last year.

Design

The Huawei P9 has taken the design of the P8 and refined it into a much better-looking device that feels comfortable to hold. It's compact compared to other Huawei devices (like the Mate 8), and that works in its favor.

The P9 is a similar size to the iPhone 6S, but Huawei makes better use of the real estate by packing in a larger screen. The Huawei P9 has dimensions of 145 x 71 x 7mm while the iPhone 6S is 138 x 67 x 7.1mm. So there's just a few millimeters in it, yet Huawei manages to include a 5.2-inch screen while the iPhone 6S only has a 4.7-inch display.

The P9 is a little taller than the iPhone, but that's not a problem. The bezels along the top and bottom of the display are still slim, but allow Huawei to pack a lot of tech inside without compromising the look of the handset.

Before starting this review I was using a Nexus 6P, which is a larger phone made by Huawei, and the P9 is noticeably smaller. Personally I prefer larger phones, but if you're one for a smaller handset with a large screen this is one of the best-designed phones you'll find today.

The back of the handset is made with an aluminium unibody and the metal does feel premium, although sometimes I would tap the back of the phone and it echoed a little, which didn't make it feel as high-end as, say, the Nexus 6P.

The overall look of the phone is great though, and I particularly like the rounded corners and edges, with the latter making the P9 look even slimmer than its 6.95mm.

On the right hand edge of the phone is the volume rocker with the power button just below it.

I found myself rarely using the power button as the fingerprint scanner turns the phone's screen on anyway. The slight grated effect on the button made it easy to identify when in the pocket though. I regularly find myself reaching into my pocket to adjust volume controls and on some phones you can hit the wrong button, but there's no excuse for that here.

On the back of the phone at the top sits the dual-camera sensor, which I found made some onlookers perk up when they spot it, as right next to it is the Leica logo.

I personally wasn't a fan of this at first, but I've come to terms with it, and it does highlight the fact that Huawei has tapped into Leica's 100 years of photography expertise to develop the camera setup on the P9. Huawei has been pushing this feature at every turn – and with some justification, as we'll see later in this review.

It's also worth noting that Leica and Huawei have managed to make the back of the camera sit flush with the rest of the phone. Camera bumps have been a trend on a lot of flagship phones in recent years and it's good to see a company fighting against it without sacrificing camera technology.

Color choices for the Huawei P9 are aplenty with three types of gold available as well as silver and grey. Sadly, in the UK you can only buy the silver and grey versions and it isn't quite clear which will be on sale in Australia or the US yet.

There's also a ceramic white version of the phone knocking around somewhere, but no-where seems to be stocking that model yet.

We haven't managed to see it in the flesh either, but Huawei assures us it has a metal body with a ceramic coating on the back to give it a different feel.

Huawei is selling the P9 on the camera abilities of the phone, but though it's got a great snapper this handset isn't all about the camera capabilities.

Personally I think the display is a real highlight of the Huawei P9. It's large considering the compact size of the phone as a whole. It features a 5.2-inch 1080p screen that some have seemed disappointed in as it didn't follow through with the 2K jump the Nexus 6P began.

Instead it's opted for Full HD and I think that's a big help. Huawei has decided to focus on getting a better battery life rather than upping the pixels on this phone, and I barely noticed it wasn't a 2K one.

The screen offers up 423 pixels-per-inch and I never felt let down by the quality of image on show.

I was especially impressed with how bright the screen can be– the Huawei P9 makes a gorgeous picture when watching video. It's not as stunning as the Nexus 6P screen, but that phone suffers for the luxury by offering poorer battery life.

The camera is certainly one of the highlight features on the Huawei P9. I'll go into more depth later in this review, but what you need to know here is that a lot of the hype is deserved.

The two sensor set up makes this one of the best camera phones you can buy right now. Huawei made a big deal out of it by including a lot of professional photographers at the launch to highlight its powers, but I don't think that's entirely accurate.

You're going to get a great shot out of the Huawei P9 no matter what you're shooting and if you use the auto mode it's still impressive. There are a lot of pro features within the camera when you're looking for something a little more complex and want to dabble in the professional world too.

It's worth highlighting the USB Type-C support on the P9. Not every phone manufacturer has embraced the new connection technology but the P9 uses a USB-C port for charging and data transfer.

It can prove a little irritating if you've got accessories with microUSB connectors, but it makes it much easier to fit the charger in as it works either way up.

Then there's the fingerprint scanner. If you've ever used a Huawei phone before you'll know the company makes the strange decision of placing them on the back of the handset rather than below the display. It may be odd, but I prefer it here.

A lot of Android manufacturers choose to put it within the home key under the screen or even on the side of the phone, but on the rear it's a much more natural position.

Your index finger is already on the back of the handset ready to tap it and I like the simplicity of that. It does mean you end up entering your PIN or pattern to unlock it when the phone is laying down though, which can get annoying.

The fingerprint scanner on the P9 is what the company refers to as "Level 4". Huawei hasn't made it clear exactly what that means apart from it's meant to be better than the "Level 3" scanner from the Huawei Mate 8.

All you really need to know is that it's fast and it's going to get you into your phone very quickly. It's something you get used to using and when I have to slowly enter my PIN it really highlights how quick the scanner is to register my print.