Apple iPhone Xs
These are the new iPhones
The iPhones XS Max (top) and XS: Both are equipped with OLED screens, the colors always represent the same, thanks to true-tone technology, regardless of the ambient light.
One of the innovations is the color "gold", which, in contrast to the former rose gold, looks a little less poppy.
The case frame is made of stainless steel, which should provide stability.
Below the power button, the drawer for the sim card can be found.
Although the new iPhones are dual sim-capable, but in the drawer fits only a sim card. The second Sim is permanently installed as a so-called eSim and can be used for different mobile service providers.
Noticeable: The holes on the underside are no longer symmetrical. Behind the holes on the left side there is a microphone, on the right a loudspeaker.
The so-called Notch on the front also have the new iPhones. Here, at the top of the screen, the selfie camera, a speaker, and various cameras and sensors for Face ID and other purposes housed.
The size difference between the two new iPhones is comparatively low: Below is the iPhone XS Max with 6.5 inches, above the iPhone XS with 5.8 inches.
Apart from the size, the design of the two new iPhones does not differ.
With the new devices, Apple also introduces a range of new protective covers that were useful during the test to test the iPhones unnoticed in public.
Plenty of room: Hundreds of videos and thousands of photos and songs are far from enough to fill the 512 gigabytes of high-end versions.
The neural network on the A12 Bionic processor was 900 percent faster than its predecessor. This benefits augmented reality apps, as here the garden planning app iScape.
The new chip is also helpful with apps like the one from Ikea, with which one can try out what a piece of furniture would look like at home - or in the office.
The camera system of the new iPhones: The overhead wide-angle camera has been improved by a new photo sensor. The underlying telephoto camera was taken over unchanged by the iPhone X.
Test photo, taken with the XS Max: In perfect weather, the identical cameras of the two new iPhones also make excellent shots.
A subtle difference: in images like this, with a slight backlight and a lot of sky, the blue of the sky is reproduced better by the new devices than before.
How out of focus would you like it? When shooting in portrait mode, you can change the depth of field in the iPhone XS and XS Max later.
At its launch in September 2017, the iPhone X was a big hit for Apple, much more than just an evolution of previous iPhones. Since then, the design has been shaping the style of the industry. If there is a smartphone that feels like 1000 euros, then this one. The Xs as current successor is just a bit better, point.
In detail, this means: It is waterproof and dustproof and can be charged wirelessly. Screen, camera and processor belong to the best, what there is to buy at present, even if the Android competition can at least keep up at least. But whether a Huawei smartphone makes better night shots or a Google device nicer selfies, Apple fans should be no preference. For them at most the price counts.
And that is still happig. Apple itself requires as usual 1149 € or more, depending on the storage capacity and depending on whether it is an Xs or Xs Max. In some well-known dealers you get the entry level model but at least for about a hundred euros less, so about 1050 euros. A successor model is expected in September 2019.
A cheaper alternative is the iPhone Xr. This is in many parts technically identical to the Xs. Only the display and the camera you have to accept cuts. But it is priced from 849 euros significantly cheaper than an iPhone Xs.
Google Pixel 3
This is the Google Pixel 3 XL
Somehow pale pink, but in any case "Not Pink": That's what Google calls this color of the Pixel 3 XL.
The Pixel Stand costs 79 euros, which charges the device wirelessly and at the same time turns it into a small Google Home - thanks to stereo speakers and the Google Assistant.
The so-called Notch at the top of the screen looks much more massive than that in the iPhone X (s), this is less technology behind it.
The "living" background - the spinning globe - makes a splash on the 6.3-inch screen.
The blue protective cover from Google makes the Not Pink more bearable.
The operation of the Pixel 3 reminds thanks to Android 9 aka Pie to that of the iPhone X. In particular, the swipe gesture from the small horizontal bar at the bottom of the screen looks up: it opens the overview of recently used apps.
Supplied with: a quick charger, pixel earphones (with cable), for example, to read in the incoming notifications, and a USB-C adapter for headphones with 3.5-millimeter jack.
The most beautiful smartphone is the Pixel 3 certainly not, but Google has a few other good arguments: a superior selfie camera, a new security chip that protects the device from hackers, as well as the pixel model for the best possible supply of operating system and security updates ,
By update, Google has also provided a "night vision" mode for the camera, which should provide even in very low ambient light for really good pictures. We could not test it anymore, but the colleagues of other media are convinced: At best, the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which has a similar function, can compete with the Pixel 3 at night.
With originally 849 euros and up, the Pixel 3 at the launch in early November was quite expensive, the larger pixels 3 XL cost even at least 949 euros. On Google itself, the prices have not changed. But online sellers now sell the devices from 649 or 679 euros - which makes them very attractive. Successor models can be expected in September 2019.
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
That's the Mate 20 Pro
Huawei Mate 20 Pro: The design is reminiscent of Samsung's Galaxy S9 with its rounded edges.
The top of the screen houses the 3D face recognition sensors. If you do not like the necessary notch, you can hide this screen area.
The dark blue back of the review sample is dominated by the quadratic camera triplet and flash.
Depending on the incidence of light, the three-dimensional coating shimmers and reflects differently on the reverse side.
The OLED screen is 6.29 inches tall and has a resolution of 3120 x 1440 pixels.
The Mate 20 Pro is charged via USB-C. Unusual is the placement of the SIM card drawer in the lower area.
Huawei delivers the device from the factory with 128 GB. You can expand the memory only with such new Nano memory cards with up to 256 GB capacity.
At the top you will find a microphone and an infrared transmitter. This allows the smartphone to be used as a remote control.
The square camera layout is unusual. A 40-megapixel wide-angle lens, an 8-megapixel telephoto lens and an ultra-wide-angle lens with 20 megapixel resolution to the side.
Thanks to artificial intelligence, Huawei's camera app often recognizes what is being photographed and adjusts the camera accordingly. But sometimes she is wrong.
A special feature is the monochrome mode that Huawei has been cultivating for years and that has also worked well on the Mate 20 Pro.
Of course, the release of portraits is less successful, even with such simple minds as this one.
This automatic desaturation of the background, which emphasizes the motif of the selfie, has been better.
This has worked well with the P20 Pro, but is still fascinating with the Mate 20 Pro: In "night mode" the camera makes impressive long-term exposures.
The outstanding feature of the new camera is its wide zoom range. It ranges from such an extreme wide angle to ...
... a fivefold zoom. Both photos were taken from the same location.
Fine, if you frequently take screenshots: Knock twice with your ankle on the screen, then you have the picture. Not new, but useful.
With the Android 9 Pie, features such as this object detection feature on the Huawei phone. In the test, however, this did not always work out as hoped.
The new face recognition is reminiscent of Apple's Face ID. Just like on iPhones, the user's face is captured and stored in three dimensions.
Since the Mate 20 Pro is very peculiar: As soon as you cover the upper sensor bar, this note lays over the entire screen.
Brand new: The fingerprint sensor is hidden under the glass of the screen.
In the so-called performance mode you can get the last bit of performance from the device, but this is associated with some disadvantages.
Charging is fast with the included power supply. About 50 minutes are enough for a full battery charge. For the power supply is also a thick knocker. For comparison, we have an iPhone power supply wrong.
Comfortable, but slower, the battery can be filled with wireless charging stations.
You can even turn the Mate 20 Pro itself into a wireless charging station. Then many accessories or even ...
... to charge an iPhone with it.
Unlike Google's Pixel 3, the design of the Mate 20 Pro by Huawei has succeeded. The screen is framed only by a very thin frame, the back slightly structured, so that their color varies depending on the light. Irritating is initially only the square component on the back. But this houses the highlight of the cell phone, the triple camera with LED flash.
Taken together, the three cameras have 68 megapixels, ranging from ultra-wide and wide-angle optics to five-fold telephoto lenses. This combination significantly expands the photographic scope compared to other smartphones. In the test, we especially liked the extra wide wide-angle shots and the night shots.
Not much liked so far, unfortunately, the price. 999 euros cost the Mate 20 Pro with 128 GB at its launch in October, web shops now offer it from 880 euros. Lots of money, but you get one of the best smartphones on the market. A successor is expected in the late summer of 2019.
For example, if you can do without the wireless charging function, the P20 Pro will give you a Huawei smartphone with a triple camera, which is currently very attractive because of the price decline. At its launch, the high-end smartphone cost 900 euros, now you get it from 600 euros.
OnePlus 6T
The OnePlus 6T in the test
The OnePlus 6T: The big difference to its predecessor is that the fingerprint sensor on the back is missing. He is ...
... now under the screen and accompanied by a funny animation reminiscent of electrical discharges.
The front of the OnePlus 6T looks even tidier than its predecessor. Because the notch at the top of the screen has become narrower, you can almost only see the screen, only very little from the frame.
Only for the camera still had a small recess, notch, just incorporated into the display. Face recognition works reliably.
The camera is identical to that of the OnePlus 6, has two sensors with 16 and 20 megapixels. Innovations were only with the camera software.
OnePlus continues to dispense with a wireless charging feature. Instead, the manufacturer relies on a quick charge and a slightly chunky power supply.
The analogue headphone jack has been dropped on OnePlus 6T. Instead, the smartphone comes with an adapter for the USB-C socket.
With the 6T OnePlus has one of the most interesting smartphones of the year in the program. Because the company, unlike most competitors, brings out new models at half-yearly intervals, it was able to offer completely up-to-date hardware just before the end of the year.
It combines plenty of power and a durable battery with a good dual camera and at least 128 GB of memory. A feature that has rarely been found before is the fingerprint sensor integrated into the screen. In the test, the face recognition worked so well that we hardly used this gimmick.
Just a pity that OnePlus dispensed with the possibility to charge the device wirelessly. Otherwise, it is - especially priced - a tempting offer for someone looking for the upper class. The 6T costs € 549 with 128 GB of memory and 6 GB of RAM. This has not changed since its launch in November. A successor can be expected in May or June 2019.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
The Galaxy Note 9 in the test
Samsung Galaxy Note 9: So you can start with the integrated pen equal to something, the company delivers with coloring pages. Painting by numbers so to speak, just digital.
The screen is one of the best that you can currently get in a smartphone. As with other top-of-the-range Samsung models, the display swings slightly into the narrow metal frame.
In Germany Samsung delivers the Note 9 in two colors, black and blue. The latter is supplied with a yellow pen. A feast for Sweden fans.
There will not be a single-SIM version. Instead, the SIM drawer offers either space for a memory card and a SIM or ...
... for two SIM cards.
At the bottom you will find something that has become rare in the luxury class: an analog headphone jack.
The supplied pen, called Samsung S Pen by Samsung, is inserted at the bottom for transport and charging.
Pulling the pen out will instantly open a shortcut menu for some pen actions.
If you pull the pen out of its holder with the screen locked, you can write notes on the screen.
However, all options for creating notes with different virtual pens and brushes, for example, can only be used in the unlocked state.
Of course you can also paint with the S Pen. Or you can play recordings of other users, showing how they have created a picture.
The camera double is identical to the Galaxy S9 +. A wide-angle camera with variable aperture and a telephoto lens complement each other here.
The photo quality is very good, even in automatic mode. More control over recordings, however, the "Pro" mode.
In Live Focus mode, the cameras create an artificial blurring effect, whose intensity can be fortunately adjusted.
The so-called scene optimizer should recognize subjects and adjust the camera accordingly. This is very well done with this backlit shot.
Algorithms analyze each recording for possible errors and indicate where appropriate, so that you can repeat the snapshot.
Samsung can not do without it: Who likes it, can cover itself on selfies virtual masks like these.
At the presentation of the Note 9 Samsung emphasized that there is the Android version of the game "Fortnite" to launch exclusively on some Samsung smartphones. The exclusivity was true only for two days.
On the note, however, "Fortnite" runs even in the best quality smoothly. The battery life is drastically reduced by the game.
Nothing new is reported by Samsung's virtual assistant Bixby. Even on the Note 9, it is only available in English, Korean and Chinese.
Even after the disaster surrounding the Galaxy Note 7, whose batteries tended to overheat, Samsung remains true to the Note range, and it's worth it. On the one hand for the corporation, which earns big profits from the device, and on the other for smartphone users who like to take notes or draw notes with a pen on the screen. Because the digital pen is the special feature of all Note smartphones.
But otherwise Samsung has saved nothing at the Note 9: The processor is very fast, the screen with 6.4 inches very large, the resolution is very high and the battery very persistent. Waterproof and wireless charging is the grade 9 anyway. And storage is plentiful, if you want - and it can pay. With up to 512 GB, Samsung offers its top model. If you put in a 512 GB memory card, you can show off with a terabyte of memory. Whether you need it in a smartphone is another question.
In the beginning you also needed very deep pockets to afford a Galaxy Note 9. 999 euros demanded and demanded Samsung for a copy with 128 GB of memory. But in online trading you get the luxury smartphone meanwhile much cheaper. In price comparison portals it is listed with prices starting from 710 euro. A successor is expected in the summer of 2019.
For those who can live without pen input, the Galaxy S9 +, which also has a size of 6.2 inches, is an alternative. This has also excellently cut in our test in March and costs instead of originally 949 euros in online trading only 550 to 600 euros.