Like any self-respecting “geek”, I am again in search of a new phone, since I get tired of my current one. And then the presentation from Huawei came in very handy, where we were shown the potential leader of the middle price segment – Honor 10.
The main advantage of the new device was the combination of price and characteristics, and I thought about purchasing it, or rather, I almost made a pre-order, which could become an emotional purchase. But, before you buy something, you need to know in detail what exactly you are buying. And after such a detailed study, these 10 reasons appeared in my head why I would not buy myself Honor 10. The opinion expressed below is subjective, and it can and should be criticized, because we are all different, and everyone has these 10 reasons may have their own, but someone may not have them at all, and then your wallet will easily lose 27 or 30 thousand rubles.
Reason 1
Remember this joke about 'photographers' who think that the cooler and more expensive their camera is, the better the pictures will be? In order not to be among them, I did not buy a camera at all. Instead, I always use my smartphone's camera, whether it’s a photo for an article, or shooting on vacation. Therefore, the quality of this very camera in the phone is almost the main selection criterion for me. So, in Honor we are promised super-technologies of artificial intelligence, which, in theory, should give an outstanding quality of shooting. This is all great, but where is the optical stabilization? How not? Alas. So, the first reason against is the lack of optical stabilization. Without it, let this very artificial intelligence play artificial chess with itself.
Reason 2
Also about the camera. The phone is not “one-eyed”, and there is no zoom. How so? Why then a second camera? To create a bokeh effect? But Google did just fine with a single camera in its Pixel 2. I just don't want to pay for marketing.
Reason 3
Let me write briefly – the phone can be drowned. Disappointment, sadness longing. I'm so used to waterproof phones that I look at this parameter right after the camera. That is why Samsung manages to make waterproof devices in the middle segment (A-series), and Huawei has once again put a pig on it, adding this feature to the older models and depriving the younger models of the same line (for example, P20 and P20 Pro), confronting the user with a tough choice? Very sorry.
Reason 4
Using Samsung flagships, you quickly get used to the fact that the amount of built-in memory can be expanded using a memory card. The realization that your phone can have as much memory as you want at any moment is relaxing. In addition to the fact itself, the memory card turns out to be a very convenient tool where there is no Internet, and a large amount of data must be thrown off. In fact, on this point, you don't even need to invent scenarios and situations – having a memory card is an obvious advantage. And its absence, on the contrary.
Reason 5
I will not tire of repeating that you get used to technologies and opportunities. And you get used to it at the level of conditioned reflexes. I hardly ever use a cable. And at home, even furniture for some time now has been equipped with areas for wireless charging. So if I buy myself Honor 10, where do you go with this zoo of wireless drives, rugs and playgrounds? So the lack of wireless charging in Honor 10 is a very significant disadvantage for me. Although, as soon as the device falls into my hands, I will definitely disassemble it in order to assess the prospects of installing the wireless charging coil under the cover. In our age of unification and cost reduction of technical processes, I do not believe that the motherboard Honor 10 is an absolutely unique and separate development, which means that the board may have connectors for this very module, they just are not involved. But this is later, and that is not a fact, therefore, an unambiguous minus.
Reason 6
Proprietary processor. There are no complaints about the processor itself, since there are few negative reviews about it on the network. The question is different – the lack of custom firmware and modifications. For me, as a person whose phones undergo a comprehensive study, both outside and inside, it is important that there is an opportunity to screw improvements and all sorts of 'whistles' that you will not find for Kirin in the afternoon with fire.
Reason 7
Firm shell EMUI 8.1. On the one hand, this is a rather controversial minus, since using the same launchers, you can customize the appearance of the menu for yourself. On the other hand, completely scrub EMUI 8.1. will not work (read about reason 6). It's just that the shell itself from Huawei I don't like its colorfulness and 'Chineseness'.
Reason 8
IPS display. I'm very used to AMOLED – matrices, with their absolute black (you can hear Darth Vader's laughter), rich colors, and the full Always On function, so the IPS matrix makes me suspicious. Yes, she also has advantages, but in my opinion. Super AMOLED is much cooler.
Reason 9
2.5D glass. This is what frustrated me when I used smartphones with similar design sophistication. This is because I do not like cases, but I like films and protective glasses. When you have a phone with 2.5D glass (a stupid term, let's replace it with a 'screen with sloping edges'?), Then picking up a protective glass or film becomes even more a quest. As a result, you either use glass that does not reach the edges, and it looks terrible, or you find protection for the entire area, around the edges of which there will still be bubbles, or an area of loose fit. With a flat screen, this problem is not.
Reason 10
Huawei decided to be trendy and messed up the look of Honor View 10 by adding a cutout to Honor at the top of the display. In fact, I am not against this element itself, but not when using an IPS matrix. What if I want to hide this area? On an IPS matrix, this area will still be highlighted, since, unlike Amoled, the entire area glows here, and not individual pixels. So, notch and IPS are a very controversial decision.
Conclusion and conclusions
In terms of the totality of its characteristics, Huawei has turned out to be a very successful and strong model that will be able to squeeze out many manufacturers in the middle price segment, however, for people like me, fastidious buyers, it will not be something for which hard-earned rubles will be spent.
Among the competitors, the first thing that comes to mind is Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018), which can now be found for the same 26 thousand. In terms of the quality of shooting, it will most likely surpass Honor 10, despite the artificial intelligence. In addition, it has water protection, and Super AMOLED display. And as the main rival, with which the brainchild will have to fight Huawei, we can offer Samsung Galaxy S7, which, despite its advanced years (by the standards of the smartphone market), has not yet lost its safety margin, and offers a very decent set of characteristics superior to those of Honor 10.
If you do not have the two main diseases of our time – PenTile intolerance and the 'poisonous' Super colors AMOLED, and if you are not a member of the TouchWiz brake witness sect, then it makes sense to look towards the product from Samsung.
Once again, I repeat that what is written above is exclusively my subjective opinion and may differ from yours, causing righteous anger and an irresistible itch in the hands, forcing them to arrange battles in the comments. Well, I ask for the barrier, ugh, in the comments.