Why every second smartphone is Chinese: how the largest manufacturer in the Middle Kingdom works.

ABOUT Huawei P20 Pro Only the lazy didn't speak this summer. « Best camera in smartphones”, “The main flagship of the year”, “The ideal smartphone for connoisseurs”- and this is only a small part of the titles with which they managed to christen the new Chinese-made product.

Is it true? Alas, not everything is going smoothly with him. More precisely - pure marketing.

This is another iPhone X clone with a wild price

In the 2017/2018 season, only 3 companies decided to release a smartphone with their own design, and only did this more than 1 time: Xiaomi with yours, and a ruler Sharp- that's all we deserve.

Huawei, trolling Apple for the “unibrow”, I went the beaten path. The designers pretended to work - but it would be better if they didn't do it. The hybrid of a unibrow and a touch pad under the screen looks strange. And it's inconvenient!

Apple bet on gestures and all Android brands followed, combining them with on-screen navigation keys and a fingerprint scanner on the rear panel. It's convenient - it's always at hand.

Why is there a scanner under the screen? And it would be nice if it was just a scanner combined with a button "Home"! The Huawei flagship has a full-fledged Touchpad, working on a principle familiar to readers, borrowed from iPhone.

The idea was good as long as smartphones were made of metal and there was little space around the button. When it is not there, your finger constantly hits the screen, creating unnecessary problems. You can enable on-screen keys. But then the scanner will interfere even more.

A smartphone for midgets? Maybe. Only the combination of metal, perfectly smooth glass and right angles makes it impossible to use Huawei P20 Pro without a cover and with a small palm.

It simply slips out of your hands, including because of the glass, dimensions, lack of ergonomic elements and small thickness. In my opinion, the P20 Pro should be called the “Slipperiest Smartphone”. In this they are inferior to him even ZUK 2/Edge.

But more and more geek users are writing that it’s time to increase the thickness. And they choose gaming smarts.

Huawei processors are becoming a problem

We can say that it’s time to get used to the typical design, and the days of unique mobile phones of the push-button era can no longer be returned. Why not then unify the “guts” of the platform, playing with combinations of peripherals and software?

Users will get used to it, programmers will be able to focus their efforts on optimizing the software, and we will finally see a normally working, fully functional Android. Then we can talk about the upcoming victory over iOS.

In fact, there are enough problems even when working with platforms Qualcomm. So much so that many vendors have abandoned the use of potentially cheaper and more productive MediaTek when working with multimedia (at least in terms of price/performance ratio in certain scenarios).

So-so result compared to Snapdragon 845

And here is Huawei with its Kirin. There is no doubt that healthy competition is necessary, and Huawei can afford to develop the mobile platform in-house. After all, we use almost everything from the company’s equipment when connecting to a home or mobile network.

But software becomes a problem, because only the largest software developers can afford to support optimization for 3-4 platforms. Therefore, a battery with a larger capacity than its competitors did not become a panacea for the P20 Pro.

Flowers: microlags and software glitches, “battery waste” optimized for other application platforms.

Berries: crazy overheating and wild power consumption when processing 3D graphics. In a couple of minutes the back cover heats up to 46 degrees! The operating time of the P20 Pro in this mode is the shortest among all flagships: only 3 hours versus 5 Samsung S9+ or 6 y OnePlus 6.

So you won’t be able to see the notorious “parrots” and endless productivity. Any heavier 2D platformers on this model cause rapid overheating and reset clock frequency. It would be worth introducing “water cooling”, like gaming smartphones on Qualcomm Snapdragon 845.

A lot of important things were forgotten in the race

As with many other things. Little things give away that Huawei We were in a hurry during development a smartphone that was supposed to show who’s boss. The same reason explains the incredible abundance of materials on all kinds of resources. The brand war leads to disastrous results.

Nuance: Of all the brands, only Xiaomi manages to produce adequate smartphones in response to Apple (). Only thanks low prices and good luck. Other vendors either waste a lot of time or create pretty lousy copies.

It may seem that Bluetooth 5.0 not needed today. But when music in wireless headphones discharges the Huawei flagship 2 times faster than any other device, it becomes uneasy.

For the sake of decency, one might recall wireless charging. But she stayed for Huawei Mate 10 Porsche Edition.

The absence of accelerated communication technologies is also surprising. Actual transfer speed of the P20 Pro modem inferior to devices on Snap 845. Unpleasant.

Why do you need an Android smartphone that cannot be flashed?

Many users support the idea that proprietary EMUI on the base Android- one of the most important Huawei problems. Most competitors managed to experiment and abandon their own developments in favor of “pure” Android.

By the way, Huawei marketers have already been caught with fraud, trying to pass off photos from a DSLR camera as photos taken using the P9 smartphone. Many managed to believe it, because the device was released with the support of Leica.

This time the vendor used heavy artillery, sending out free samples to everyone possible sources in the Internet. The result is in Google. Almost every smartphone review talks about the P20 Pro's unique camera capabilities and calls it the "Best Mobile Camera."

The 3-camera system is built rather strangely. It’s not for nothing that all the reviews focus so much on laser focusing, which can be found even in cheap “Chinese” ones.

So what is there? Front-camera equipped with a sensor for 24 MP without stabilization with aperture f/2.0. A similar solution has been floating around since the days of . There was time to make sure that without stabilizing the front camera, the size of the matrix does not matter! Live selfies will be very difficult to get.

Even with anti-aliasing turned off, the camera unpleasantly “improves” the photo. “Soap” and aberrations in all their glory

The main hype around Huawei P20 Pro is dedicated to main camera, which consists of 3 modules:

• 8 MP- color with 3x zoom and optical stabilization, f/2.4,
• 40 MP- color, without stabilization, f/1.8,
• 20 MP- black and white, without stabilization, f/1.6,
• color temperature sensor

What's wrong here? The module with magnification turns out to be the main and only stabilized one, which means it is the one that influences the final result of the combination if stabilization is necessary. Therefore, in the hands of a professional, the P20 Pro works wonders by the standards of Chinese smartphones.

And it easily ends up behind if it comes into direct real comparison with another flagship without using additional funds. This smartphone is definitely not for shooting in automatic mode.

Huawei is not Google. Artificial intelligence Kirin - raw

Everything would be fine, but he is tied to work artificial intelligence processor and desperately tries to fix the photos. Yes, the most important thing is that due to its low characteristics it only works in good lighting.

As a result, a combination of excellent color and b/w cameras loses details in motion, blurred edges and too beautiful faces for Huawei P20 Pro- the norm. Algorithms machine learning They allow you to take excellent night photos, but they lose detail.

Huawei is one of the largest Chinese communications companies in the world, as well as one of the largest smartphone manufacturers. This company is well known in Russia, where its devices are successful.

Often some of the company's devices are called Huawei Honor, although this is not entirely correct. Why? Honor is separate brand Huawei, which appeared in 2013, so smartphones under the first brand should be called Huawei, and under the second - like Honor, for example, Honor 8 Lite.

And this is Huawei Nova:

Please note that the logos are different.

Why does the company need an additional brand? This is explained by George Zhao, director of Honor: he says that the difference lies primarily in the promotion and distribution of devices. Besides, Honor smartphones designed for a younger audience of users, thanks to which Huawei was able to expand the circle of potential buyers. Honor is promoting itself through modern means of communication, including social media, but sales of smartphones occur mostly through online stores. For what? This allows you to reduce costs and also reduce the cost of devices.

It is important to understand that there is no difference between the software. Moreover, often some models are very similar to each other. For example, compare Honor 8 Lite and Huawei P8 Lite 2017:

Which is better - Honor or Huawei, you ask? The question is posed incorrectly, because we have one company in front of us, although it is represented different brands. The choice depends entirely on the buyer.

The Chinese holding Huawei produces quite interesting smartphones and sells them at reasonable prices. These devices are popular all over the world. Many owners of gadgets from this manufacturer note the high quality of the products and the presence of latest achievements from the world of the mobile industry. Since in the century high technology Almost everyone has the Internet, so it’s not surprising that reviews of Huawei smartphones can be found on the website of any online store. Let's try to consider real reviews from equipment owners of this brand and decide if it's that good.

A little history

Huawei started out producing modems and other communications equipment. She had no equal in this field. The manufacturer released its first smartphone on the Android platform in 2010. It was the legendary Huawei U8230. It gained particular popularity in Belarus, as local operator Life offered it in installments with attractive terms. However, a lot of time has passed since then. Huawei devices have evolved and become modern universal devices.

Now the company is a significant player in the global market mobile devices. Huawei flagships are in demand all over the world. The Chinese managed to combine performance, attractive appearance and high quality workmanship. Reviews of Huawei smartphones are proof of this statement. Let's look at reviews of several of the most popular models smartphones from a Chinese holding.

Huawei Honor 5X

This device was created as a budget replacement for cheap analogues from Xiaomi and other companies. It turned out to be inexpensive, attractive and productive. It is not surprising that the Huawei 5X smartphone has the most positive reviews. Many owners of this miracle note the highest build quality, which is rarely found in budget devices. Users are also impressed with the gadget's performance. According to the owners, this smartphone even runs modern games without problems. It only gets a little warm if you play for a long time. Everyone also praises the camera. For the module that is installed at 5X, the quality of the photos is excellent.

But there was a fly in the ointment. Some snobs categorically did not like the firmware with a proprietary interface. It's not even about the firmware itself, but about the huge amount of preinstalled Chinese software. It cannot be removed or turned off. Superuser rights are required. However, not everyone has the skills to root and flash an Android smartphone. Negative reviews about Huawei 5X smartphones concern only software. Everyone is satisfied with the hardware and build quality. And this is the most important thing.

Huawei Honor 5C

It's like an improved copy of 5X. The device was created specifically for those who want more for the same money. This gadget even includes NFC chip. Performance has also been slightly increased. The Huawei 5C smartphone has mostly positive reviews. However, there are also complaints from users. Many people complain that the device is too slippery. It is simply impossible to use it without a case. Also, some are not satisfied with the short battery life. But you have to pay for the productivity gains somehow. One final complaint is the slow fingerprint scanner. Dear ones, aren’t you insolent? This is a budget device! Looking for flaws in it is bad manners.

Everything is clear about the positive qualities: as always, impeccable build quality, a bright and clear Full HD screen, an amazing camera. These are the main advantages described by the owners. By the way, if in 5X there were complaints about the firmware, then this is not the case here. Apparently, the company listened to constructive criticism. By default, the gadget has Android 6 installed, which many also consider a plus, since it uses battery power more economically. The smartphone we just reviewed is worth purchasing. There will be no disappointment.

Huawei Honor 6X

This device can be called the flagship of the Honor line. It even has a dual camera, which is so popular now. It is quite clear that its cost differs sharply from the price of the models discussed above. But no matter how expensive the Huawei Honor 6X smartphone is, there are still reviews about it. And even here there were some negative ones. Some particularly picky users don’t even like flagships for some reason. There are especially many complaints about the insufficient quality of photographs when shooting at night. Comrades, this is not a DSLR! Attach a good lens (there are such ones) and a powerful flash to your smart phone - and you will be happy!

However, the camera is the only drawback of the device. More adequate smartphone owners note its speed and decent battery life. Some people were especially pleased with the pedometer built into the device’s firmware. People were very interested in this toy. And users specifically noted the stability of the firmware itself, calling it the best that Huawei has ever had. Reviews of the Huawei Honor 6X smartphones clearly show that the company has produced a high-quality and modern product with an adequate price.

Huawei Honor 2

This old guy, of course, does not fit into the overall concept somewhat, but he can still compete with many budget products from Samsung and other companies. It has pretty good performance for its age and handles games and applications very well. Almost all owners of this gadget sing odes to it and believe that this particular “Honor” is the legend with which the entire illustrious line began. You can buy it now for pennies, but it will be relevant for another couple of years in the budget segment. Reviews of the Huawei Honor 2 smartphones do not have a negative connotation. And this is an absolute record.

Summary

The Chinese brand Huawei offers high-quality, productive and modern devices at reasonable prices. Reviews of Huawei smartphones are direct evidence that the products of this company from the Middle Kingdom deserve attention. Even old Honor models can easily compete with modern state employees. This alone says a lot. The verdict is this: you can purchase equipment from Huawei. It's worth every penny spent. The client will definitely not be disappointed.

Camera

Huawei smartphone cameras are some of the best. Smartphones from this company occupy leading positions in mobile photography ratings. So, for example, Huawei camera The P9 – not least thanks to its collaboration with Leica – was recognized as the best by a dozen of the world's leading authoritative publications, and the smartphone itself received numerous awards, including as the best European smartphone for consumers 2016-2017 according to the European Picture and Sound Association, as well as How best smartphone With dual camera according to Teknotel 2016.

The main camera of the P9 smartphone is dual: color and black and white. Together they capture more light and create a more contrasty and highly detailed picture.

The Camera app itself is on flagship smartphones Huawei is a huge field for those who love photography. Professional mode provides settings for aperture, ISO, shutter speed. It is possible to save in RAW and paint with light. The cameras of the P9 and Mate 9 smartphones have a wide aperture mode - to create a background blur effect (bokeh), and this can be done even at already finished photo. If you are not in the habit of delving into the settings - auto mode cameras will do everything for you.

Stylish design

Attention to detail, stylish “metal” design, smooth lines and close to ideal production processes. Each smartphone is a unique approach to design. For example, designers from the automotive industry were invited to develop Huawei Mate 9.

In fact, Huawei is the only real competitor to Apple on this moment. The company is one of the three largest smartphone manufacturers in the world. And her plans are now more ambitious than ever.

“We're going to beat them step by step, innovation by innovation. It's like driving a car. At every turn there is an opportunity to overtake competitors"- so said the head of the Huawei CBG business unit, Richard Yu, during a presentation in November 2016.

Innovation

A unique development, an advanced smartphone with a futuristic design - and all this... no, not Apple, but Huawei. The recently introduced Huawei Honor Magic really surprised not only with its unusual curved 4K screen along with top-end specifications, but also with a graphene battery that charges 40% in 10 minutes.

4K screen, retinal scanner - everything is in Honor Magic. There really are no analogues to this smartphone on the market. However, you won’t be able to purchase this model through official sales channels – the Honor brand is not represented in Belarus.

Another Huawei smartphone, Mate 9, in addition to a capacious 4000 mAh battery and an advanced fingerprint scanner, offers machine learning technologies in the processor - artificial intelligence, thanks to which the smartphone will not lose performance even after 18 months of the most intensive use. And 4 more microphones for highest quality conversations and directional sound recording when shooting video. Competitors have no analogues of these technologies.

World brand

Huawei is ranked 40th on the list of the world's most powerful brands (Brand Finance 2016). According to the prestigious Best Global Brands rating, the price increased by 18% in 2016. It has become one of the fastest growing brands in the technology sector, rising from 88th position to 72nd.

Moreover, Huawei is included in the “100 Most Attractive Employers” according to LinkedIn. According to statistics, 1/3 of the world’s population uses the brand’s services and products.

Is notSamsung

This is not Samsung. And period. If you want to really stand out and be different from everyone else, get excellent device quality and access to the most advanced technologies– Huawei is your choice. Attractive design, comfortable branded shell, big choice models for every taste.

After the Note 7 failure, the trust of Samsung users was damaged. That's why many tablet phone lovers switched to Mate 8 or Mate 9 - and don't want to go back. Huawei has long been in no way inferior to its competitors.

Updates

The firmware of top Huawei smartphones receives regular updates and always contains the latest version of Android. A large number of settings and themes will satisfy any buyer.

And, if you bought a phone for your grandmother, you can simply turn on “Simple Mode” with large icons. Huawei's flagship smartphones (Mate 9) use elements of artificial intelligence - the phone learns to predict what application you will launch next - and optimizes it for maximum performance.

The proprietary EMUI interface is a shell from professionals in their field; its lightweight and intuitive design is suitable for everyone. Lots of widgets, ease of setup, nice icons will delight users of all ages. It is possible to hide unused applications. You can choose a whole series of pictures for your lock screen, so you have a new wallpaper every time. There is support for color themes, voice control and gesture control.

With the latest version of EMUI 5.0 (in Mate 9, P8 lite 2017), managing your smartphone has become even easier: the smartphone ignores some false touches, up to 53% of actions can be performed in 2 steps and up to 95% of actions are performed in 3 steps.

Brand Features

Branded features that make everyday use of a smartphone more convenient. Signal+ virtual triple antenna technology that provides confident reception in any circumstances - you don’t have to worry about how to hold your smartphone and talk without fear of covering the antenna with your hand. Wi-FI+ 2.0 – technology that sorts Wi-Fi networks Based on signal strength, the Huawei smartphone will choose the network with the most stable connection.

Some Huawei smartphones have up to 4 (!) microphones for effective noise reduction. A fingerprint scanner with instant unlocking, which can also be configured to perform a number of actions, and advanced privacy settings will help protect personal data from strangers.

Processors

Kirin processors developed by Huawei consistently rank high in benchmarks and . And they guarantee unmatched speed in applications and games, as well as moderate power consumption (thanks to built-in relevant technologies).

The latest Kirin 960 uses a 16nm process technology, which is a big achievement for chip manufacturing at the moment. Only the richest and largest companies, for example, Intel, can afford such a precise and expensive technological process.

HiSilicon Kirin 960 is an eight-core 64-bit processor. The chipset supports work with RAM LPDDR4 format and built-in UFS 2.1 format, which gives a performance increase of up to 30% compared to competitors. UFS 2.1 increases the speed of reading and writing files. Graphics adapter The Mali G71 MP8 provides a 180% increase over the previous generation. The graphics chip is fully compatible with applications for virtual reality and also provides support Vulkan API- and this is a big increase in performance in “heavy” games and applications such as “Gallery”.

“Premium service” is a unique service in Belarus

A 12-month warranty and the Premium Service program will allow you to sleep peacefully. Huawei provides a unique service in Belarus for a number of flagship models– warranty against mechanical (!) damage for three months from the date of purchase. For example, you bought a Huawei P9 and accidentally dropped it, breaking the display. If this happens in the first 3 months of use, then the smartphone falls under the “Premium Service” and will be repaired free of charge.

If you have problems with your smartphone, but don’t have time to go to a service center, a Huawei employee himself will come to you, provide assistance on the spot, or take your smartphone away for repair. This service is called “Home to Home Service in 24 Hours”. And the repair really takes no more than a day. By the way, the Huawei branded service center with a showroom of new Huawei products is located in the very center of Minsk at 53 Nezavisimosti Ave. When contacted, a simple repair will not take more than half an hour.

Prices

Huawei smartphones are available to any category of buyers. At the same time, even an inexpensive smartphone will be pleased with its high-quality assembly. And it will work for a long time and stably. If you want unique features, uncompromising multitasking and expensive materials, your choice is premium segment phones (Huawei P9, Huawei Mate 9).

I’m sure that you also remember how long the myth was in the air that the production of mobile phones was a super-complicated task, inaccessible to mere mortals? Not even production, but simply assembly - when Nokia opened factories in China and instead of “made in Finland/Germany/Hungary” new phones received a Chinese birthplace, many buyers were nervous, ran between the counters at the radio market, opened the boxes and said: “ I don’t need Chinese, I’m sure you can find a batch of the same mobile phones assembled in another country!”

They finally came to terms with the place where phones were made when American Apple dumped its “more prestigious than ever” Chinese iPhone assembly, and her smartphones worked as well as if they had been assembled by “sophisticated” Europeans or residents of the United States. But ordinary workers still interpreted this in the style: “As soon as Jobs turns away, they will start assembling crooked smartphones. But they themselves only know how to make fake Nokias with a TV! And where do they belong - the poor population, simple laborers hired by American and Japanese companies!

Until recently, it was difficult to imagine, but today Huawei is one of the three largest smartphone manufacturers in the world

That is, they joked about Chinese electronics in the “damned place” style, and today, out of the five largest manufacturers in the world, three are originally Chinese. You can nod at that Chinese smartphones They are popular only due to population density in Asian countries, but in Russia the top 10 manufacturers are also almost entirely “Chinese”, and Huawei and Xiaomi, for example, are popular not only in their historical homeland, but also far beyond its borders. This time let's not come up with cruel jokes about why there are no such people in Russia, and let's not remember the fate of YotaPhone, but let's take a look at the methods with which Chinese manufacturers achieved such success. The principle of “let’s not tell anything, otherwise you never know” was the first to be interrupted by Huawei - let’s talk about it.

Principle No. 1. Invest money and take risks. If you don't have enough money, open a company "share together"

It’s not only difficult to open your own business in Russia - Huawei was also created not at the behest of a “good billionaire investor,” as is now customary, but in much more brutal circumstances.

When Ren Zhenfei decided to open his own business in 1987... he simply did not have enough money for such an endeavor. In 1987, according to Chinese law, a company had to have a minimum of $5,000 in start-up capital to register. Ren, an engineering graduate and former army research institute employee, did not have that kind of money. But he found 5 more poor people who liked the idea of ​​creating a manufacturer of telecom equipment (switches, telephone exchanges, towers cellular communications etc.), and according to the principle of “from scratch,” Huawei was born.

Huawei's founders were not rich and did not work in luxury

Shenzhen was an expensive city for businessmen already in the late eighties, so Huawei was located in a tiny office, and the company had only 16 employees in the first years. As of 2017, the company already employs 180 thousand employees, and Huawei generates $75 billion in profit per year. In general, the city takes courage, so you don’t have to be an oligarch to create a cool company. And make eyes foreign companies with calls to “buy me and take me abroad!” no need either.

Huawei is listed in the TOP 100 (or TOP 50, depending on the rating) of influential companies in the world

Principle No. 2. Land - to the peasants, factories - to the workers, shares - to the employees. And “changeable power”

The Chinese were no less enthusiastic about socialism than we were in the 1980s. and at first they did not really understand how to properly manage private property so as not to “drown” in a market economy. Huawei went their own way, fenced themselves off and did not sell shares to everyone, as is customary in the USA or Europe.

The shares belong only to Huawei employees - due to this, the Chinese avoid speculation (they heard all sorts of “ Apple shares crawled down because new iPhone did not live up to investors’ expectations”?), when the company can be “drowned” by stock exchange hysterics if the management decides to spend money on innovations that take a long time to develop, rather than put on a show “we have made an n% better smartphone!” in the form of a public report. And for the same reason, the employees themselves much more want the company to grow and get rich (and shareholders get rich along with it) and work “from the heart.” Sometimes, however, they want this so passionately that, by Russian and European standards, Huawei members “plow”, like in the army or a sect.

The Chinese are trying not to comply with the “vertical of power”, but to interest employees in working for profit

On the other hand, without free trade in shares, Huawei cannot absorb small enterprises (developers of technology useful to Huawei, for example) and pay for the deal with a small share of money and a large amount of shares in return. For example, when Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion, WhatsApp was actually bought for $4 billion, and the social network paid for everything else using shares.

But at the same time, the company does not “sour” into stagnation, but moves vigorously. Partly because the harsh working conditions for employees extend to directors. Every six months Huawei rotates directors and then evaluates each leader's performance based on their performance. In 6 months, state presidents have time to attend the inauguration, shake hands with ministers and fly to greet the heads of other countries, and at Huawei, during this time, directors select projects for new smartphones/tablets/computers, launch new models into production and for some time monitor the results of their work. Each new director is interested in outperforming his predecessor in terms of efficiency and returning to managing the company in a new “shift” - a kind of socialist competition at the highest level.

Huawei changes directors every six months. So as not to relax and compete with each other

And to the question “what about buying startups and specialists for shares?” Huawei, in response to such “side effects,” smile slyly and say: “We act differently.” For example, like this:

Principle No. 3. The ruin of a competitor is not a reason to mock, but valuable personnel

To talk about the principles of doing business, Huawei brought journalists not to China, but to Finland. “In what way do the northerners have anything to do with the thoroughly Chinese Huawei?” you ask. And I will remain silent and give a hint: which company went bankrupt and left in Finland great amount the most experienced cellular and telephone engineers? Can you guess it right the first time?

Many did not even notice how in 2011 Nokia first committed to produce smartphones on Windows Phone instead of Android, then the mobile division of the Finns wholeheartedly went to Microsoft (the same ones that created Windows, this Word of yours, if you don’t know), after which mediocrity managers first ruined the Nokia brand, then its popularity Lumia smartphones, and then the remnants of the purchased company, fired everyone they could in 2015, and sold the right to call smartphones Nokia to the Chinese.

Finnish engineers who came to Huawei from Nokia are responsible for the quality of audio and housing in smartphones

But layoffs or leaving the company “of their own free will” began at Nokia much earlier, in 2011, and a year later Huawei opened research centers in Finland and asked unemployed engineers “guys, let’s make good smartphones together?”

The guys didn’t mind, so now Huawei has two research laboratories in Finland. For what? So that smartphones work not only according to the principle “here we assembled the display, motherboard, cameras, speakers and battery, and nothing seems to have fallen off,” but with a margin of safety.

Ultra-fast camera captures video of smartphone deformation to find out vulnerabilities body and modify it

In an isolated room, engineers check the level of radiation and reception of the cellular network

Smartphones are scratched to make sure that the oleophobic (anti-fingerprint) coating on the screen does not begin to peel off from the first minor damage. They are spun in climate chambers, cooled with frost, filled with steam and “fried” with ultraviolet rays. Huawei sells smartphones in both cold countries and the tropics, so you need to make sure that each new model will launch and work stably in both cold and hot weather, under direct sunlight.

In experimental laboratories, Huawei rotates smartphones in climate chambers and tests the quality of the oleophobic coating

The stereo system simulates street or traffic noise in order to correctly calibrate the noise reduction system in your smartphone

They check the bending strength of cases (this has become fashionable since the iPhone 6, as you remember), throw mobile phones against a concrete block to correctly calculate the impact resistance, film it on camera at 12 thousand frames per second, examine the cases under X-ray and document the damage. Even the speakers (talk and speaker speakerphone) pay special attention so that they do not overheat and do not break down in metal cases if you have to “scream” your favorite song for hours on end. In isolated rooms, the radiation level during the call and the signal reception level are measured.

Finally, the Finns are responsible for the audio part of Huawei smartphones. Setting up a noise reduction system (so that you are riding on a bus, and the interlocutor hears only your voice, without the surroundings), imitates extraneous noise using a stereo system. After this, engineers check the results by ear - they need to check that the automation has set everything up in a way that is gentle for humans, and not just based on numbers.

The quality of soldering and the stability of the smartphone after testing are checked by x-ray

The display is “fried” with ultraviolet rays and checked whether the screen then responds to touches

Testing speakerphone distortion and conversational dynamics working to the limit

All this sounds too complicated, but such tests are what distinguishes Huawei (and other “Chinese premium”) from basement “Chinese” manufacturers whose smartphones begin to fall apart or fail due to ill-conceived design after the first turn on. By the way, about Chinese and non-Chinese.

Principle No. 4. There's nothing wrong with foreigners helping China develop smartphones

We, Russian people, still find it unpleasant to realize that in the Russian YotaPhone the processor was American, the assembly was Chinese, operating system– American, spare parts – China and Taiwan. And Renault's French roots in the Lada Vesta also hit the vanity. The Chinese take such things more easily.

The PRC is a large enough state to find employees for any task, but Huawei understands that, firstly, the tastes of Asian and European buyers are different, and secondly, that different countries There are differently talented specialists, and you need to feel free to involve them in your work, and not beat yourself in the chest “our Chinese smartphones are designed and released exclusively by Chinese citizens!”

Chinese smartphones are not so Chinese if you study where they are designed

For example, the British are responsible for the appearance of Huawei smartphones in the London design center, the logic of the system is thought out in San Francisco (USA), the algorithms for the operation of the system and subsystems (camera, sound, work with cellular network) Russian programmers are working in Moscow, the French in Paris are coming up with new case materials and combinations for Huawei devices, the Germans from Munich are “conjuring” cellular communications.

And these are only Huawei's subsidiary divisions! Because Huawei still licenses processor cores from the British ARM, initial Android versions and Windows takes from the American Google and Microsoft, and develops cameras in individual smartphones together with the Germans from Leica. And no one died from the interference of “foreign agents” in the development of Chinese mobile phones.

Huawei does not work in isolation, but collaborates with a dozen partners

Principle No. 5. If you have free money, invest in new developments

Huawei is most afraid of turning from a developer of smartphones and new functions into an “assembler” of mobile phones from ready-made spare parts. Without “exclusives,” the Chinese believe, the path will only be downward, and not for long, because new mobile phone manufacturers in China appear again and again, and are gradually learning to assemble normally working smartphones. To be superior to such newcomers, you need to produce not just functional mobile phones, but models with their own “face” and always good quality, according to Huawei.

Therefore, no money is spared on R&D (research and development work) - 10% of revenue goes to promising developments. Is it a lot or a little? Not a record, of course, but very, very much. For about this reason Huawei smartphones The “Chinese” were the first to learn how to take high-quality photos and videos and, according to some ratings, surpassed even Samsung flagships and some iPhones.