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Forbes
19 hours ago
- Forbes
Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Crushes iPhone 16 Pro Max In Camera Rankings
Key Takeaways Huawei's latest flagship smartphone, the Pura 80 Ultra, has claimed the top spot in Dxomark's camera rankings, significantly outperforming the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Google Pixel 9 Pro, and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. With an overall Dxomark score of 175 points, the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra decisively dominates the iPhone 16 Pro Max (161 points), Pixel 9 Pro XL (160 points), and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (151 points). Notably, the Pura 80 Ultra matches the iPhone 16 Pro Max in Dxomark's video tests, a category where Apple traditionally excels. However, like its predecessor, it's hard to recommend the Pura 80 Ultra to anyone living in the US or Europe, at least as a primary device. Huawei Pura 80 Ultra Key Camera Innovations With the Pura 80 Ultra, Huawei has once again prioritized cutting-edge camera hardware, taking a radically different approach than industry leaders Apple, Google, and Samsung, which prioritize thinness, style, and ergonomics with a greater reliance on digital processing enabled by considerably more processor hardware. The Pura 80 Ultra boasts several cutting-edge hardware features, including: The Pura 80 Ultra's camera system combines a 50-megapixel primary sensor with a 40-megapixel 1/2.8' ultrawide sensor (with an f/2.2 aperture lens) and a 50-megapixel 1/2.8' telephoto camera sensor offering interchangeable 3.7x f/2.4 and 9.4x f/3.6 optical telephoto lenses. The innovative dual-periscope zoom system utilizes a tiny, movable prism to direct light to either the 3.7x or 9.4x telephoto lens, saving space and reducing costs by using a single sensor to serve both. For a more detailed explanation of this innovative system, see Forbes contributor Prakhar Khanna's article. The variable aperture feature, available on the primary lens, allows the camera to adapt to lighting conditions just like a stand-alone compact camera. Setting the aperture to f/1.6 captures the maximum amount of light when shooting in low-light situations and provides a blurred background with natural bokeh that's less reliant on software processing for portrait mode shots. The primary lens features a variable aperture (f/1.6 - f/4.0) that allows the camera to adapt to varying lighting conditions, similar to a traditional compact camera. At f/1.6, the lens maximizes light intake for low-light shots and creates a naturally blurred background (bokeh) for better-looking portraits. Conversely, closing the aperture to f/4.0 increases depth of field, ensuring sharpness in group photos. This adjustable aperture is advantageous in conjunction with the Pura 80 Ultra's 1-inch type sensor, which typically results in a shallower depth of field due to its increased size. Huawei Pura 80 Ultra: Impossible To Recommend? Despite its impressive camera capabilities, the Pura 80 Ultra, like all of the company's smartphones, faces significant challenges in the US and European markets due to limited availability and potentially deal-breaking feature omissions forced by US trade restrictions. Key drawbacks for potential buyers in the US and Europe include: Workarounds exist for many apps, but reliance on third-party app stores and the lack of Google Wallet and reliable mobile banking remain powerful purchasing deterrents. But I Still Want One There is, of course, another option: For photography enthusiasts, the Pura 80 Ultra can serve well as a dedicated camera alongside your existing device. It's not unusual for people to carry both a phone and a camera, so why should it matter if that camera is another smartphone? It could be argued that the Pura 80 Ultra's best-in-class camera exists partly because of the US's trade restrictions rather than despite them. Without access to the world's fastest processors, Huawei is compelled to rely on state-of-the-art camera hardware instead. For a detailed analysis of the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra's camera performance, check Dxomark's full test report. Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Forbes
Pixel 10 Display Could Finally Fix Google's Pixel Eye-Strain Issue
Google hints at a big display improvement for the Pixel range, possibly arriving with the Pixel 10 ... More series. Google has teased a crucial Pixel display quality upgrade, likely to arrive later this year with the Pixel 10 range. The upgrade should alleviate the eye strain some users experience when using OLED displays, like those used in the current Pixel 9 series. This is particularly important for the Pixel 10 display, as users have been vocal about this issue. According to a recent report from Android Central, Google is considering a much-needed improvement to the display technology used in its Pixel smartphones that could dramatically improve eye comfort by reducing display flicker. The upgrade could arrive with the Pixel 10 series later this year. The Pixel 9 range scores very highly in display tests but lags behind the competition in terms of display flicker, which can cause problems such as eye strain and headaches for some users who are particularly sensitive to the phenomenon. According to the report, a Google representative has now stated that 'their teams are aware and investigating this. You can expect updates later this year.' This revelation strongly suggests that Pixel devices will produce less flicker in the future, although it is unclear whether this will require new hardware, such as the Pixel 10, or if Google can apply a software patch to existing phones. Like most devices with OLED screens, the Pixel 9 series uses Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming technology to control display brightness. PWM dimming controls the brightness of the screen by rapidly turning the display's pixels on and off. Ideally, this switching occurs so quickly that the human visual system 'smooths out' any flickering effects and perceives a change in screen brightness instead (see below). However, many people remain sensitive to this flickering, resulting in frequent complaints of eye strain and headaches. These adverse effects become more pronounced as the frequency of flickering decreases, so many smartphone manufacturers attempt to mitigate the problem by increasing the PWM frequency to a much higher rate. Google's Pixel 9 and 9 Pro-series smartphones offer some of the best-quality displays in terms of color accuracy and readability. Still, they retain a relatively slow PWM frequency of 240 Hz, a speed that Dxomark, an independent testing site, deems 'bad' for perceived flicker. Dxomark rates the Pixel 9's PWM dimming frequency as "Bad", falling behind both the Galaxy S25 Ultra ... More and the iPhone 16 Pro Max Dxomark expects that fewer than one in five of the population will be able to perceive PWM flickering on the Pixel 9 Pro, but that's still a very sizable proportion of potential users. Furthermore, the adverse effects of PWM dimming can still occur, even if the viewer is not consciously aware of the flickering. Google could reduce the effects of PWM flicker by increasing the frequency to a much higher level or by adding specific eye health modes that switch to different dimming technologies that don't cause flickering. Samsung doubled the display PWM frequency from 240Hz to 480Hz starting with last year's Galaxy S24 Series, and Apple also reportedly uses the same 480Hz frequency in its OLED-based models, such as the iPhone 16 Pro. However, many still perceive flicker even at these increased frequencies. This has prompted some rival devices to go much further, such as the Honor Magic7 Pro, which boasts a PWM frequency as high as 4,300Hz, although its real-world effectiveness remains disputed. Google might be able to improve flicker issues on current Pixel devices. Enthusiasts have successfully unlocked higher PWM dimming frequencies on Pixel 8 Pro, for example. However, these solutions often result in degraded color fidelity and other display quality issues. This means a comprehensive solution might require updated display hardware, i.e., a new Pixel 10-series smartphone. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) dimming is a technique used by many smartphones to control the display's brightness. Rather than turning the power or voltage up and down like a traditional dimmer switch, PMW adjusts the perceived brightness of the screen by rapidly turning the display fully on and fully off several hundred times per second. The desired brightness level is achieved by balancing the amount of time the display is turned on with the time it is turned off. More time spent on results in a brighter display, and more time spent off results in lower perceived brightness. If this switching happens quickly enough, any flickering should be imperceptible to the human eye. However, sensitivity to this flickering can vary significantly from person to person, with some reporting symptoms of eye strain, headaches, and vertigo after just a few minutes of using the display. The critical factor determining eye comfort is the PWM frequency, with higher frequencies resulting in fewer complaints from users. A frequency of 240Hz (as used in the Pixel 8 series) is now considered low, and some people still experience ill effects at 480Hz. IEEE Standard 1789 suggests using flicker frequencies of over 1,000 Hz to mitigate issues. PWM dimming is typically used in OLED displays because it is cheaper to implement than directly adjusting the power level supplied to the display. It also results in improved picture quality as color response can change in unpredictable ways when the OLED displays are operated at less than full power. Improving the PWM frequency on the Pixel 10 is a crucial step if Google is to avoid falling behind the competition, especially given recent advancements made by iPhone and Samsung flagships. While the technical details of PWM dimming will mean little to most customers, a significant number who are sensitive to screen flicker will be less likely to return their devices if the flickering is reduced. Google's current Pixel displays are already excellent. Reducing flicker could be the final piece of the puzzle, and potential eye health benefits could serve as a powerful marketing tool for the Pixel 10. Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram.
