While it will come as no surprise to learn that gamers are one of the few demographics that have actually been enjoying lockdown, what may be more surprising is that professional gamers – those that compete in esports tournaments for big prizes across Australia and around the globe – have developed a work ethic and model that can teach all of us a thing or two about working from home.

Professional gamers need to balance their many hours of intense focus in front of a computer screen with healthy schedules that keep them capable of maintaining optimal performance, both physically and mentally, at all times. So, which techniques do they use, and which technology do they recommend?

To find out, we reached out to Legacy Esports – one of the most successful esports organisations in the burgeoning Oceanic Region with teams and streamers currently competing in games including Fortnite, Hearthstone, Starcraft 2 and the hugely popular League of Legends. Its techniques have been proven in the field too: in April, its League of Legends team was crowned Oceanic Pro League (OPL) Champions.

We asked Tim Wendel, Head of Esports for Legacy Esports, what we could learn from their success. After all, as he puts it, “Working from home under quarantine hasn’t really changed much for what we do… we’re very used to operating in this space.”

Communication is key

Many office workers will have been getting to grips with Zoom for meetings and communication, but pro-gamers are already well versed at coordinating with their co-workers remotely. Winning means sharing information quickly – calling out enemy positions with military-grade efficiency, for example – and operating as though your teammates (who could be many kilometres away) are sitting right next to them.

Legacy Esports uses the gamer-oriented multi-channelled Discord app for voice and text communications, but Tim’s experience with it translates to all web conference-related communication software. His first point is to ensure that everyone has very good microphones for clarity – it’s neither professional nor helpful to others to sound like you’re talking from the bottom of a well. He adds, “For people now working from home, the key is to become familiar with the software that your team or company uses. It’s going to save you a lot of time being able to fix your own problems as opposed to going to IT every time something goes wrong. It could be that your microphone was on local mute as opposed to muted in the software – any number of issues.”

Microphone and speaker problems are certainly regular bugbears for the new world of conference calls: being able to diagnose whether an issue stems from computer settings, headset buttons/dials, another attendee, the local network or third-party cloud service, is important. Meetings can quickly become derailed by key participants not having functional audio or video, and providing remote tech support can be difficult, especially when it comes to explaining how to navigate hidden settings in apps (and operating systems) to those who are not tech-savvy.

The key lesson here is to plan ahead and test your setup prior to any important events. This will give you enough advance time to Google a specific problem, or ask a colleague for help.

Healthy body, healthy mindset

“Esports professionals put in some of the longest hours, of any profession, into their craft. Consequently, taking regular breaks is important and so is posture and stretching,” says Tim. Indeed, when training primarily involves sitting in front of a screen, clutching a mouse and keyboard, for many hours, every day, it becomes particularly important to understand and compensate for the negative effect that this has on one’s body. Tim says that getting up at least once an hour and stretching – even if it’s only for five minutes – is very important.

He continues, “There is a gamer stretch routine which focuses on warming-up. It involves pulling your fingers back one way and then back the other way. It’s really about loosening up any tension: your forearms can become very tense when holding a mouse and using a keyboard for prolonged periods.” This will help stave off the primary affliction that blights the world of Esports: RSI.

Beyond that, following a rigid schedule was essential. While training alongside teammates kept pro gamers from missing most sessions, there was still a great deal of solo work required. Having them stick to tight schedules for practice, rest, exercise and performance reviews helps the team and each individual member to structure their days.

He also adds the following advice, “When your routine changes, try to build a schedule that includes alarms or reminders for checking your messages. If you are used to only checking your emails in one big block each day, it might make sense to be a bit more dynamic during this time.” He concludes, “Also, there shouldn’t be any excuse not to stick to a healthy diet. Even maintaining exercise isn’t difficult, as online classes and live sessions with personal trainers are widely available.”

Get the right gear for the job

Every job is simpler when you have the right tools to do it and, just as a blunt knife acts as a frustrating barrier to a chef, having a slow computer or poor-quality peripherals can act as a major barrier to office productivity. To that end, Samsung provides Legacy Esports with a variety of high-quality equipment to help them perform their best, including fast computer memory, SSDs and curved gaming monitors. Tim says, “All players who have received them have enjoyed the benefits. Not having to wait long for your computer to boot, being able to load games quickly and having plenty of room to store games [has proved particularly popular].”

He also stresses the importance of having an ergonomic chair. “Gaming chairs are hot items in esports, right now, with multiple manufacturers including elements like adjustable armrests and lumbar support. But, as long as you have a good chair that supports good posture; that’s the most important thing.” He adds that while it’s important to ensure that forearms are level with the table, there is no special gaming posture, or way to hold a mouse, that will stop you from getting tired.

Nonetheless, Tim still recommends using a curved monitor (or two) for work purposes: “Having a curved screen means I move my eyes less to reach corner to corner whereas, with a flat monitor the space feels wider. It feels like I’m using my eyes less to see the whole screen. Also, using two monitors makes it easy to multitask by providing multiple sources of information. Working on one monitor, while source information or messages appear on the other, makes things much easier.” He adds that, connecting to ultra widescreen monitors can particularly boost productivity versus being hunched over a laptop screen – and will help encourage better posture, too.

Top tech for WFH

Samsung CT55 1000R curved monitor: Whether at home or in the office, curved monitors make it easier to tackle demanding tasks, offering a more natural and comfortable viewing experience. The Samsung CT55 features a 1000R curvature that matches the human field of view allowing you to see the whole screen in just one glance, which can help to limit visual fatigue, especially during sustained use scenarios. Another benefit of using a curved monitor is the ability to use it as a second monitor, making it easier to multi-task.

Samsung EVO Plus NVMe SSDs: These solid-state drives are fast and yet small enough to power both laptops and desktops alike. Boot times will plummet, as will the loading times of applications. Despite the diminutive dimensions they still pack in up-to 2TB of storage, so you won’t be running out of space any time soon.

Samsung Portable SSD T7: With increasing file sizes (especially when it comes to multimedia), running out of storage space on your laptop or desktop is a fairly common problem. Samsung’s portable SSDs, such as the T7, offer an easy way to add super-fast external storage, allow you to both save and work from large files on a separate drive – even demanding jobs like video editing can be done directly from a Samsung Portable SSD, so there’s no need to transfer files between the external SSD and your computer’s internal storage.

Samsung 27-inch CRG5 curved monitor: The CRG5 combines a lightning-fast refresh rate through 240Hz RapidCurve™ technology and 1500R curvature, minimising lag time while displaying ultra-smooth scenes for a truly immersive experience. The 240Hz refresh rate allows a swift, effortless response to screen transitions and quickly changing situations, while the 1500R curved screen offers a wide view with just one glance. To eliminate tears, stuttering and any delay in the action, G-sync compatibility from NVIDIA synchronises the graphics processing unit (GPU) and panel, offering players exceptionally dynamic and seamless gameplay during any scene in full HD resolution.

Maintenance softwares are fantastic tools that allow you to keep your Mac device running efficiently, but using them isn’t always very convenient. Since most maintenance apps are specialized, I’ve often had to download several different ones to achieve system-wide benefits – and it can be a headache to try and get all of these running properly at once. 

Thankfully, though, I found an easier solution: CleanMyMac X. CleanMyMac X offers an all-in-one solution that optimizes your system’s storage, security, and speed, and it does so without requiring you to dig through complex and confusing settings menus. With just a few clicks, I’ve been able to use CleanMyMac X to make my Mac as good as new.

Cleanup: Free up space for what matters most

As someone who frequently downloads new files all the time, I’ve noticed that in recent years, file sizes have constantly been getting bigger and bigger. Therefore, it has been crucial for me to get the most out of my Mac’s storage, and CleanMyMac X helps me do that with its extensive cleanup system. This system scans my Mac and removes miscellaneous files and data that are hidden away or that I never end up accessing. For example, the cleanup program has removed old log files, language files, photo cache data, and more from my system. These files are useless to me, but they take up valuable space that I would much rather attribute to university projects or things I’m writing for work. With just a click or two, CleanMyMac X cleanup gives me the opportunity to do that.

Protection: Guard against online threats

Malware and spyware have been a threat to internet users since the dawn of the technology, and that isn’t going to change any time soon. As someone who browses a wide array of websites daily, I can attest to the importance of protecting yourself against intrusive computer viruses. 

CleanMyMac X comes with a state-of-the-art Malware Removal module that thoroughly scans your system for malware, spyware, adware, and other malicious programs that may be hiding in the shadows. After the scan is complete, you can then purge your Mac of any found threats. Aside from protecting you from the important information on your system becoming compromised, this also will boost the overall speed of your Mac considerably. And thanks to consistent and frequent updates, CleanMyMac X’s Malware Removal will always be one step ahead of cyberthreats. When I used it to clear my Mac, I noticed that the system itself would boot a lot faster, as would numerous apps that I use for work and recreation. 

This software also features a Privacy module that you can use to wipe out all traces of your activities system-wide in one fell swoop. This includes chat history, browsing history, cookies, downloads, recently accessed item lists and more. 

Speed: Your Mac will be faster than ever before

Keeping your Mac running as fast as possible is the best way to boost your productivity or improve your recreational experience, and CleanMyMac X’s Optimization system goes to great lengths to help reduce slowdowns. After performing a system scan myself, the module allowed me to remove or disable apps and programs that were either not responding properly or were using an excessive amount of resources. There’s a Maintenance widget, too, and I frequently use it to run maintenance scripts, free up system RAM, and repair disk permissions so that app errors get cleared up.

These optimization tricks take no time at all for CleanMyMac X to perform, and they’ve made a huge difference when it comes to my Mac’s speed and responsiveness.

Management: Keep tabs on everything

It can be tough to keep track of the countless files and programs that we keep on our computers. Fortunately, CleanMyMac X also comes with several useful management tools, and they’ve made staying organized a breeze for me. 

The Uninstaller module allows me to group my apps by developer, name, or size, and then I can uninstall apps I don’t need anymore with a single click. Unlike dragging apps into the Trash bin, this uninstaller will also remove background data as well. The Updater program, meanwhile, lets me scan all of my apps and informs me whenever an update is ready. I can then start downloading available updates within CleanMyMac X, which saves me a ton of time. Notably, it even lists the contents of the update for me so I don’t have to go hunting for patch notes. 

I also use this innovative application to review my system’s files with the Large & Old Files tab. Here, files are listed and grouped by type, size, and access date. This makes finding files I would otherwise struggle to pin down a simple and painless process. Lastly, there’s the Shredder tool, which is essentially a better Trash bin. All I have to do is drop whatever I want to permanently delete into Shredder and all traces of it, including background data that would normally be left behind, vanish.

CleanMyMac X is invaluable to me, and it will be to you, too

The value of CleanMyMac X cannot be understated. With just a few clicks, I’ve been able to free up space on my Mac, fight off malware and similar threats, improve my system’s speed and efficiency, and manage my apps and files. Whether you’re working on important projects at home, putting time in at the office, or simply using your Mac to have some fun, the benefits of this software will change the way you use your Mac. 

The Huawei P40 Pro is the ultimate camera phone; a cutting edge speedster, whether 3D gaming or streaming shows over lightning-fast, 5G mobile data; and it's a stunningly designed, premium glass and metal marvel. 

The true brilliance of the P40-series and new Huawei phones shines through when you fire up the software though. Built on Android, EMUI 10.1, Huawei's rich interface runs Android apps, and is packed with more features than traditional Android smartphones. 

Despite the fact Huawei isn't working with Google in the same way anymore, EMUI 10.1 is still pretty slick. To really understand all the facts about Huawei, and how to get the most of your new Huawei device, it makes sense we explore the P40 Pro and EMUI 10.1 together.

First things first - the P40 Pro

Inspired by water, the P40 Pro's Quad-Curve Overflow Display spills over all four sides of the phone. When you pick it up and your thumb swipes in over the edge of the screen, everything feels seamless - no corners; just smooth, rich, curvaceous glass and metal. 

Speaking of smooth, the Pro's 90 Hz high-refresh-rate OLED screen glides, so your scrolls and swipes feel instantaneous. 

In turn, using it is both a visual and tactile treat. Thanks to its Kirin 990 5G chipset, Huawei's flagship packs power, advanced AI capability and speedy 5G network speeds; and as for its camera, simply put, it's best in class.

• Learn more about the Huawei P40 Pro

Apps and services

Getting apps from your old phone to your new one is a breeze. It all starts with Huawei's Phone Clone software, which copies almost all your apps to your new P40 Pro, whether you're coming from an Android device or an iPhone. This also takes care of contacts, photos, music and more, speeding up the setup process so you can focus on getting on with life.

Once set up, you'll have most of your apps on board, but when you need more, there are a handful of easy, comprehensive ways to get new apps onto your P40 Pro. The first is Huawei's app store, the AppGallery. It features favourites like Amazon Shopping, Deliveroo, Microsoft Office, Snapchat, TikTok, Tinder, Zoom and many, many more. AppGallery also manages updates and is your main destination for games. 

Next, Petal Search - Find Apps is a new tool from Huawei that acts as a gateway to a million apps. Smarter than your average app finder, it scours the web and multiple app sources, so you can quickly, easily install apps like Facebook and WhatsApp to name a few in moments - even if you won’t find them in the AppGallery. 

Petal Search also doubles up as a comprehensive search engine for everything from news to images and more. Available as a standalone app, preinstalled on new Huawei phones, or downloadable from the AppGallery, it can also be used as a handy widget, so you can access a world of apps from your home screen.

What about Google services like Gmail, Maps and YouTube? These won't copy over with Phone Clone, and aren't available in the AppGallery. However, you can easily use these as web apps, which can act like traditional apps - all accessible through shortcuts on your home screen.

Creating web app shortcuts is simple - just open up the Browser, navigate to youtube.com, for example, hit the three dots in the top right and select 'Add to home screen'. Once done, you'll see a shortcut to the service, complete with the Maps, or YouTube logo, so you can access any service as you would a traditional app.

• Learn more about setting up your Huawei phone

APKs and App Stores

Being an Android phone, you can also install APK files on Huawei phones and tablets. APK app files are the Android equivalent of .exe files on Windows computers, or .dng files on Macs. Simply open them, and they install in moments.  

EMUI 10.1 highlights

EMUI 10.1 is loaded with features designed to make your life easier. Take the Muti-Window dock; just slide in from either side of the screen to access it. Next, drag an app into view to launch a split-screen working, so you can use two apps at once. 

Richer than standard multi-tasking, with EMUI 10.1, you can drag and drop images, text or even files across two different apps, taking full advantage of the P40 Pro's ample power and screen. 

Want to quickly do something in another app without leaving the one you’re in? The Multi-Window dock can also fire up a floating window, for desktop-like efficiency on your phone. To activate it, simply tap an app in the dock, and a pop-up window appears - intuitive, efficient and seamless. 

Huawei share and more

The benefits of EMUI 10.1 over stock Android also extend to ways Huawei phones, tablets and laptops communicate with one another. Huawei Share, for example, supports fast sending and receiving of files without a cable or an internet connection - and if you have a Huawei MateBook, you can take connectivity to a whole new level.

With your MateBook and P40 Pro switched on, tap a contact point on your laptop with the back of your phone to control your phone on your MateBook, wirelessly. 

The ultimate in efficiency, you can do everything you need to across two devices with just one screen. This incredible multi-screen experience even lets you drag and drop files from phone to computer, share your clipboard across devices and send photos taken on your phone in moments.

In turn, whatever you need to do, whether it takes DSLR-grade photos on your phone, use Gmail, surf the web, watch YouTube, power through high-octane 3D games, stream over 5G, or work seamlessly across your smartphone, laptop and tablet, you can with the P40 Pro and EMUI 10.1.

• Get a Huawei P40 Pro today and start your EMUI 10.1 adventure

Motorola has never been one to shy away from experimenting with their phones. From the gesture-based Moto X that allowed new ways to use Android to the Moto Z’s modular approach that extended your smartphone into a much more capable devices, Motorola has always lead with innovation. With new newly released flagship from Motorola, the Edge Plus, Motorola is once again bringing innovation back to smartphones.

The Motorola Edge Plus has a very futuristic design where the 6.7-inch OLED screen curves on the two sides to a mind-bending angle of almost 90 degrees. This makes the screen a lot more immersive than other curved phones- the side bezels all but disappear and the content looks as though it has expanded beyond the screen.

You would think that a phone with a screen as large as 6.7-inch would be difficult to handle with one hand, but Motorola has kept the width of the phone at just over 71mm which makes it extremely comfortable to hold and use with one hand. The curved screen that extends almost to the back of the device also creates an uninterrupted flow using your phone- your fingers don’t keep switching between glass and a metal or plastic frame.

Motorola has added a few nifty software tricks that makes the functionality of the screen extend beyond just content. Edge Touch, part of our new My UX suite of software features, allows you to customize new ways to interact with your device. The display edges also come in handy when your phone isn’t in your hand, lighting up to show battery charging status, incoming calls, alarms, and notifications from across the room. This is particularly useful if you prefer keeping your phone on silent or screen down for security reasons.

You can also set a double tap function on the edge to either switch to the last app or disable edge display for apps that haven’t been updated to work well with curved screens. You can also swipe in from the right side of the screen to display shortcuts to your favorite apps and tool. 

And finally, with the new Moto Game time, gamers can turn the phone sideways and use two additional, customizable buttons on the top edge of the screen for console-like four finger gameplay.

Besides featuring a gorgeous and unique design, the Motorola Edge Plus offers flagship level performance with high-end specs and features such as the Snapdragon 865 processor, 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. It also features 5G connectivity, a massive 5,000mAh battery that can be wirelessly charged as well as a 108MP triple camera setup capable of taking stunning day and night time shots. 

The Motorola Edge Plus is available in the United Arab Emirates for AED 3,999 through local carriers Etisalat and du as well as online stores.

The Oppo Find X2 Pro is a beautiful looking phone, but looks aren't everything.

Whether you're talking about a piece of technology or a human being, beauty's more than just skin deep. Our personalities are multi-faceted, rich, expressive, so by scratching the surface, the bigger picture becomes priceless. 

That's exactly why the Find X2's elegance and premium design are just part of its ultimate story; a gateway to that mighty camera, flagship power, class-leading storage capacity, and lightning-fast 5G.

Then there's that screen; its 120Hz refresh rate slides and glides while others stutter, making it feel as fast and powerful as the phone is. Speaking of fast, the Find X2 Pro's Charging speeds are the fastest of any flagship smartphone currently available? Clearly, there's a lot to uncover here.

A+ screen

Traditional smartphone screens refresh at 60Hz - that's 60 times in every second. These once looked just fine, but 60Hz doesn’t quite cut it in 2020. Cue the Find X2 Pro's silky smooth 120Hz refresh rate, for gliding scrolling and swiping that are second to none.

High-refresh-rate screens can drain batteries quickly, but not on the Find X2 Pro. Oppo has tuned its flagship's refresh rate to intelligently switch to 120Hz for smoother, clearer motion when you will notice it, and 60Hz when you won't, ensuring you and your phone easily makes it through a full day despite its display credentials. If your need for speed isn't quite met just yet, we're not finished. Thanks to a touch sampling rate of up to 240Hz, it registers touches faster than the eye can see.

Fluid visuals are combined with QHD+ clarity for a pin-sharp picture, in addition to billion-color, DCI-P3 rated color accuracy. That means the Find X2 Pro brings your captured moments to life with 10-bit display quality. That’s 64 times the typical number on 8-bit displays, resulting in color transitions that look smooth, and tonal detail and nuance that shines through with natural, lifelike vibrancy.

We're all looking at screens all day, which is why eye-care has never been so important. Oppo knows this, so the Find X2 Pro, which has TÜV Rheinland Full Care Display Certification, features a smart, AI Adaptive Eye Protection System. This automatically chooses the optimal color temperature and brightness for your surroundings, resulting in less eye strain after extended use.

The screen experience isn’t just about world-class numbers and eye-saving certification though; Oppo's Find X2 Pro features an O1 Ultra Vision Engine, boosting image quality, and even upscaling ordinary video, so it can take advantage of the high-frame-rate and HDR tech onboard. Coupled with Dolby-tuned dual stereo speakers, the Find X2 Pro is like having a private movie theatre in your pocket.

No waiting around

Powering up when you're in a pinch is a dream if you're using the Find X2 Pro. 

Thanks to innovative 65W SuperVOOC flash charging, the X2 Pro's ample 4260 mAh battery powers up 40% in just 10 minutes - enough power to see you through to the end of the day.  Want a full charge? That'll set you back just 38 minutes! Considering many flagships today take over double that, the Find X2 Pro is the ideal phone for anyone who values every second.

Big power may make you think 'big power consumption', but Qualcomm's latest 5G chipset, the Snapdragon 865 balances efficiency and performance like a champion. That's why even though the Find X2 Pro is brimming with premium features, it will also comfortably see you through from morning to night.

Conclusion

And so, when you dig a little deeper, venturing beyond the beauty of Oppo's Find X2 Pro, you'll discover a smartphone bursting with best-in-class features, not least of all a stellar display and cutting edge power, and power management.

• Learn more about the Oppo Find X2 Pro on the Oppo website

Roborock has just introduced its latest vacuum, but this time around it’s not a robotic vacuum that’s meant to target just your floors. The new Roborock H6 is a powerful, cordless stick vacuum that can clean just about anywhere, and the company is offering an early-bird discount that sees the price drop from its $449 retail to just $399.

The new Roborock H6 is a fully-equipped vacuum with all the different accessories you need to give your house a deep clean both high and low. It has a long wand that lets you easily use it on floors like a traditional vacuum or reach up to the ceiling, while a flexible hose simplifies cleaning the tops of shelves and cupboards.

Thanks to its motorized brush heads, the Roborock H6 is also ready to dig deep into carpets and furniture, especially with the mini-brush. The vacuum’s motor is capable of 150AW of suction power, so it can pull up messes with ease and even tug mites loose from furniture.

The battery inside the Roborock H6 is the first of its kind in a stick vacuum. It’s a Lithium-Ion Polymer that maintains its capacity over the long term. Even after 400 recharge cycles, it will continue to hold 80% of its capacity. That max capacity is enough for up to 90 minutes of vacuuming in Eco mode or 10 minutes at max power. So, you can not only get a thorough clean around the house, but also head out to your car and give it a deep clean with the crevice tool, all without having to worry about where the closest power outlet is.

For all that, it’s exciting enough that Roborock’s starting price is $449, which undercuts plenty of the competition. But, the company’s early bird discount is exceptionally compelling. The discount will run from May 18 to May 22, so you’ll have to act quick.

These days, we’re all spending a lot of time in our homes, and for many of us, there’s a good bit  of remote work to be done. Your office likely supplied task-ready computers, plenty of screen real estate, and a solid network to keep everyone productive and connected, but you may not have that same infrastructure available to you at home. With ASUS’s suite of products, you can soon be working from home with all the efficiency of the office. 

These awesome products will help get you up to speed:

ExpertBook B9450

The ASUS ExpertBook B9450 should be your go-to partner when it comes to working away from the office. This laptop is built to meet every demand your work might have. It’s powered by the latest Intel Core processors backed by plenty of RAM and fast storage. You also get the best internet connection thanks to its support for the new WiFi 6 standard.

While some work machines can be big and clunky, this laptop maintains a svelte design that weights just 2.2 pounds, giving it impressive portability. You won’t have to worry about accidents getting in the way of work, either. The design has been built to meet MIL-STD 810G military standards for reliability and durability and has a spill-proof keyboard. A 24-hour battery life can also keep you going for the long haul, and you can easily top back up with fast-charge technology that will restore 60% of the battery’s charge in just 39 minutes.

ZenScreen MB16ACE

Depending on your work, a small difference in screen space can make a huge difference in productivity. Laptops may offer the best in portability, but that does come at a trade-off in screen real estate. The ASUS ZenScreen MB16ACE solves that pain point. This 15.6-inch display is small enough and light enough to come with you wherever you go, making it the perfect complement to your laptop. 

The display offers up a Full HD resolution, keeping the visuals crisp. It also has an anti-glare finish, so you don’t have to worry about sunlight making it impossible to see. And, thanks to a built-in sensor, you can set it in portrait or landscape modes and the display will automatically orient. All that capability and the ZenScreen MB16ACE just requires a USB connection to function.

ZenWiFi XT8

Nothing can hinder a productive workday like spotty internet. When everyone is at home at the same time, there can be many devices competing for bandwidth from the home Wi-Fi, and it can lead to serious slow-downs. ASUS’s ZenWiFi XT8 system will keep you up to speed. The system employs the latest WiFi 6 standard, supporting connections to many devices at once while keeping high speeds. 

The ZenWiFi XT8 package includes two Wi-Fi hubs, giving it a massive, 5,500-sq-ft coverage area. It also has intelligence when it comes to prioritizing traffic. If you have a lot of important business calls, you can have the router prioritize call packets over other data so someone streaming Netflix won’t disrupt your meeting. The Zen WiFi XT8 will also protect your home network and data with AiProtection and a built-in VPN.

ZenBook Pro Duo

If you have creative work to handle, the ASUS ZenBook Pro Duo is one of the most impressive and competent laptops you can find for the task. It pushes laptop design forward by not just offering a 15.6-inch 4K UHD display with virtually no bezels but by also building a secondary display into the bottom portion of the laptop. This gives you substantially more screen space, and lets you keep toolbars and menus on the lower display so you can maximize your view on the main display.

Both of the screens feature touch support, and ASUS includes an active stylus for more nuanced input. The main display also uses OLED technology and delivers 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut with HDR support for truly stunning visuals. For a portable computer solution that does just a bit of everything, the ZenBook Pro Duo fits the bill.

ASUS Accessories to Complete Your Setup

While your computer delivers on performance and your monitor keeps your eyes busy, your hands are also going to have a lot to do while you’re working, and they shouldn’t have to settle for any old keyboard and mouse. ASUS has many high-quality accessories that can help keep you working smoothly.

ASUS’s most impressive accessories come from its Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand. You can complete your home office setup with the wireless ROG Chakram for all your mousing needs, the ROG Strix Scope for a distinct typing experience, and the ROG Delta wireless headset can help you hear and be heard in all of your work calls. 

Make your home a well-rounded home productivity center with ASUS products and accessories starting today. 

If your current phone is starting to feel a little underpowered, you can swap it for a state-of-the-art Samsung with blistering performance, an incredible screen and all-day battery life – and if you buy it from Mobile Phones Direct, you can take advantage of some very sweet Samsung deals. But you’ll need to hurry, because the deals are strictly time-limited.

The best phones in the world right now

Samsung’s S20 is TechRadar's best phone in the world right now, and Mobile Phones Direct have some brilliant deals on the S20 and its bigger sibling, the S20+. 

Both versions come with a whopping 12GB of RAM for blistering performance and 128GB of expandable storage, and their Infinity-O screens have fast 120Hz refresh rates and 240Hz touch sensitivity for silky-smooth scrolling and super-fast responses to your touch. 

Samsung’s Infinity-O displays use AMOLED technology for deep blacks and vivid colours, and they are among the very best screens you can get on any phone. They deliver incredible visuals for movies, for games and for photos. 

That means they can do justice to the incredible shots you’ll take with the triple- and quadruple-lens cameras in the S20 and S20+ respectively. The phones’ cameras aren’t just great for photography, although of course they are; they’re also great for video, and for making you look good in Zoom calls.

The future’s here, and it’s fast

If you fancy the range-topping Samsung S20+ 5G, you can get it for just £52 a month with 30GB of data and no up-front cost. 

Not only that, but you can also claim a free Samsung Galaxy Watch Active, the smartwatch this very site called “beautiful” and “one of the best wearables you can buy”. 

The S20+ on 5G is an incredible thing. 5G speeds are extraordinary – up to 240Mbps in some areas – and there’s much lower latency too, which is great for mobile gamers. 

The combination of a super-powerful smartphone like the S20+ and super-speedy 5G will knock your socks off.

The S20+ gets its 5G from Three UK, which says it's building “the UK’s fastest 5G network… 100MHz of fine-tuned, full-pelt, maxed-out 5G”. 

They’re rolling it out quickly too, with service already available in and around 39 major towns and cities from Aberdeen to Wigan. 

A pocket rocket for a knock-down price

If you’d rather have something a little more portable, MPD has the S20 4G 128GB with an incredible 120GB of monthly data for just £40 per month and £59.99 up front. 

The S20 has the same powerful processor, generous RAM and incredible performance as its bigger sibling, but its beautiful, silky-smooth AMOLED display is more pocket-friendly at 6.2 inches compared to the 6.7 inches of the S20+.

A brilliant bargain buy

If you’re looking for a brilliant smartphone on a budget, we’d recommend another Samsung: the S10. It’s seriously powerful with a superb curved AMOLED screen and a great camera, and it’s an excellent all-rounder. 

Right now it’s also available at an excellent price: the 128GB model is available for just £59.99 then £30 per month for 30GB of monthly data.

The smart place to get your Samsung smartphone

Mobile Phones Direct isn’t like other phone retailers. With over 25 years experience it’s the UK’s leading online-only retailer of phones from Samsung, Apple and Sony, and it’s won stacks of awards.

It’s been What Mobile’s Best Online Retailer for six consecutive years and Mobile News’s Online Retailer of the Year for four years running, and every single phone is genuine UK stock.

• See Mobile Phones Direct's best deals on Samsung’s very best smartphones

Roborock’s robotic vacuums have caught the eyes of many with their impressive features and compelling price point. But, the company has seen another avenue to explore, and it has gone all in with the stunning Roborock H6 stick vacuum.

This new stick vacuum offers many quality-of-life features, like its battery life timer, its lock switch so you don’t have to hold the trigger while vacuuming, and its easy-to-clean filters that you can simply rinse off in the sink. Those features are a nice complement to what is already a versatile array of cleaning implements. The Roborock H6 comes with some small attachments, like a a crevice tool and a dusting brush, but it also has powerful, motor-drive cleaning heads that can tackle carpets, hard floors, and furniture. And, between the extension want and the flex tube, you’ll be able to clean high and low.

It wouldn’t mean much if there wasn’t power behind it, but the Roborock H6 features a motor that can deliver 150AW of suction power. That will pick up dirt with ease and can even pull mites loose from furniture. The Roborock H6 will help keep the air clean, too. It uses a series of filters that traps anything bigger than 0.3 microns, so you can breathe easy after cleaning.

The Roborock H6’s power comes from a Lithium-Ion Polymer battery, a first for stick vacuums. With it, you’ll see up to 90 minutes of power in Eco mode for extensive cleans, or you can go 10 minutes at full power for those really deep cleans. And, the battery’s capacity will have minimal fade over time.

So, from the ceiling to the floor and from your indoor furniture to your car’s nooks and crannies, the Roborock H6 is built to handle it all. When you’re done, you can just stick it on the charging mount, and it’ll be ready for your next cleaning.

The Roborock H6 will cost just $450. You can learn more about the Roborock H6 here.

Roborock has taken its S6 robotic vacuum and made it even better. The new Roborock S6 Pure delivers the same great features and performance of its predecessor but includes upgrades and a reduced price tag. That price goes even lower with a heft early-bird discount that’ll bring the price from $549 down to $499.

The new Roborock S6 Pure is a whole-home robotic vacuum. Thanks to its array of sensors and advanced navigation features, this vacuum can find its way around your house to ensure each room is thoroughly and efficiently cleaned. Even if you have a large space, the Roborock S6 Pure can run for up to three hours on a charge to ensure it gets the whole place cleaned up. If it needs a little more charge to finish, it can intelligently return to the charging dock to get just what it needs to complete its task.

The Roborock S6 Pure isn’t just a vacuum either. The mopping feature will let it clean even deeper. And, with an upgraded 180ml water tank, it can mop up to 1,610 square feet in one go. Don’t worry about it mopping where you don’t want it to mop though, as you can instruct it to only mop certain areas and assign no-go zones as well.

Despite the upgraded features, the Roborock S6 Pure costs less than the original S6, and you can get it for even less with Roborock’s early-bird discount. The deal is live from May 6 to May 12. Don’t miss out.

Huawei’s vision for secure and intelligent devices started long before AI became an industry buzz word. The Huawei Mate 20 Pro released in 2018 with the Kirin 970 chipset was one of the first phones to feature an independent Neural Processing Unit (NPU) module. The Kirin 970 laid the foundation upon which Huawei has built its 1+8+N Seamless AI Life strategy.

The way Huawei envisions the future is using the phone at the focal point of your smart world. The phone acts as the heart behind 8 category of devices which then communicate to countless other end points. The Kirin 990 5G chipset with an optimized dual-NPU architecture that is present on the Huawei P40 series which makes on-device suggestions and decision-making very responsive and intelligent in a whole new way.

This allows the P40 series to communicate intelligently with on-device suggestions and decision-making capabilities to control the eight category devices around it- PCs, tablets, TVs, Speakers, Glasses, Earbuds, Watches and Telematics. Using these types of devices, the eco-system expands into controlling countless other products that range from IoT devices to cars.

The best part is that all of the on-device data is processed and stored locally on the phone, freeing users of ever-present worries associated with data leakage during transmission or in on-cloud storage. Security of your data is at the front when it comes to Huawei products such as the P40 Pro series.

The convenience of using our phones has surely made our lives easier but technologies such as facial unlocking and making payments through your phone needs to be secure. Many people are unaware that many device makers retain their biometrics data such as by fingerprint, facial identification, iris or voiceprint recognition on the cloud. 

If over the course of data transfer or on-cloud storage, user data is accidentally leaked or unlawfully obtained by malicious actors, it can cause immeasurable personal and financial harm. Huawei takes a different approach, holding itself to much stricter standards than those that are pervasive across the industry, and insists that all biometric data must be kept on the user's phone only.

This means that all of your personal data is securely encrypted and stored within a trusted zone on your phone, and stays there under lock and key, leaving no opportunity for privacy disclosure.

On each and every Huawei "super-device", data generated from biometric information in Huawei Pay, Secure Key, SkyTone and a myriad of other privacy-sensitive features, is closely monitored by iTrustee, with detailed measures in place to ensure user privacy and data security. 

Huawei has established an isolated trusted execution environment (TEE) operating system that was established via the ARM® TrustZone® chipset. TEE runs outside of Android's open environment, and whose microkernel design utilizes proprietary "formal verification" methods to tailor security and trustworthiness, as certified by CC EAL5+ which is the highest standard for commercially accessible OS kernels. 

Under this architecture, the end-to-end processing of users' biometric data, including management, decryption, verification and storage, happens in a completely isolated environment. The open Android framework is only used to initiate information authentication and result collection, and not provided with access to the data itself.

Huawei realized it’s vision for connectivity and security with the release of EMUI 10 which was hailed as the "groundwork for full-connected, intelligent living in the future. Huawei has made yet another breakthrough with its "super-device" paradigm, which is sure to unleash a torrent of disruptive innovations that make interconnected, all-scenario intelligence universally accessible.

 With a Huawei device like the P40 series, seamless AI Life no longer lies in the imagination of science fiction writers, but is a living, breathing reality for Huawei consumers. If you want to experience a slice of future, you need to immerse yourself in Huawei’s ecosystem. 

Stuck at home? Many of us are. But while some are working from home and content to let that be their productivity for the day, being quarantined is also an excellent time to let out the true artist in you. Perhaps you’ve been wanting to take up photography, but need the right camera to do it. Or, you’re a musician who wants to start recording music -- but don’t have the tools.

No matter what art form you’re interested in, there’s great tech out there that can help you achieve your artistic goals. Here are nine gadgets that will speak to the artist inside of you.

Sony Alpha a6100 Mirrorless Camera

Pros:

• Excellent image quality
• Quick, AI-based system
• Good viewfinder

Cons:

• Can be a little complicated at first

If you’re looking to step up your photography game, then the Sony Alpha a6100 is an excellent way to go. The mirrorless camera is relatively compact, but it’s ultra powerful -- making use of artificial intelligence for many of its features. The camera has a great viewfinder, making it easy to take high-quality photos and videos on the go. It can shoot in 4K, or in 1080p if you want footage at 60 frames per second, so it’s got you covered in not just the photo department, but the video department too. In other words, with this camera you’ll be getting studio-quality photos and videos in a matter of minutes.

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Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 USB Audio Interface

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Two inputs
• Works with most computers

Cons:

• Too small for some musicians

If you’re a musician who wants to get started with home recording, a good place to start is a solid audio interface. Focusrite has been making high-end interfaces for some time, and the Scarlett 2i4 is perfect for the bidding recording artist. You’ll get two microphone preamps and four outputs, along with support for MIDI, and the ability to plug into your computer straight through its USB port. You will still need to look into other parts of a recording system, like microphones, microphone cables, and microphone stands. That said, once you have an interface, those other parts will be easy to add.

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Audio-Technica AT2020USB+

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Great sound quality
• Inexpensive

Cons:

• Some potential durability issues

Musicians aren’t the only group of people that use microphones. Podcasting is another art form that has become increasingly prevalent over the past few years, and the Audio Technica AT2020USB+ makes it easy to get started in basic voice recording. The microphone has a number of controls built right into it, including a volume control, headphone jack, and more.

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Apple Pencil

Pros:

• Sleek and stylish
• Works well

Cons:

• Expensive
• Only works with select iPad models

The humble iPad has come a long way over the past few years in offering tools for artists and graphic designers, and if you’re interested in unlocking the full artistic power of the iPad, then it’s worth getting an Apple Pencil. The Apple Pencil is currently on its second generation, and offers features like built-in touch sensors to help you quickly switch tools, wireless charging with your iPad, and more. It’s important to note that the second-generation Apple Pencil only works with iPad Pro models -- for other iPad models, you’ll need to look into the original Apple Pencil. 

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Apple iPad Pro

Pros:

• Ultra powerful
• Well-designed
• Updated camera array

Cons:

• Expensive

Speaking of the iPad Pro, if you’re an artist who doesn’t already have one, then it’s absolutely worth considering buying one. Sure, they can be a little expensive, but the fact is that the iPad Pro is easily the most powerful tablet on the market, plus it offers a ton of tools and software for artists. Even Adobe has versions of its apps for the iPad. The device was recently updated with a new camera array and slightly more powerful processor, and whether you’re a musician, visual artist, or any other kind of artist, you can easily get use out of an iPad Pro.

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HP Envy 5055 inkjet printer

Pros:

• Sleek design
• Relatively inexpensive
• Easy to use

Cons:

• Ink is a bit pricey

What do you do after you finish a work of art? Save it into a folder? Or hang it up for all the world to see? HP has been making some of the best printers on the market for years now, and the HP Envy 5055 offers excellent value-for-money. The printer offers a resolution of up to 4800 x 1200, which should be perfect for most photos and designs. It also supports HP’s Instant Ink, and has a scanner built into it too -- which could come in handy. Safe to say, if you’re an artist who wants to bring your digital creations into the physical world, this printer is a great way to go.

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Nintendo Switch

Pros: 

• Tons of great games
• Portable design
• Innovative design

Cons: 

• Slightly short battery life

Perhaps your art involves starting a new YouTube gaming channel or learning to game better than ever before -- in which case it’s worth considering the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch offers an innovative design that allows you to play both on the TV, or on the go -- making it the perfect choice for those who want something they can play in all different scenarios. 

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Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 MIDI Controller

Pros: 

• Versatile
• Drum pads built in
• Supports most major DAWs

Cons: 

• No weighted keys

Looking to get started in electronic music? A great MIDI controller is the way to go. The Arturia KeyLab Essential 61 has 61 keys, eight drum pads, and nine sliders, all of which can be used to control major digital audio workstations like Pro Tools, Logic, and GarageBand. The keyboard comes with some of Arturia’s own much-loved software, and using it you can build songs with all kinds of instruments. 

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Pioneer Electronics DDJ-SB3 DJ Controller

Pros:

• Easy to use
• Relatively inexpensive

Cons: 

• A bit basic for seasoned pros

Are you looking to get into the DJ game? DJ gear can get real expensive real quick -- but this controller from Pioneer lets you get in on the action without shelling out an arm and a leg. The DDJ-SB3 offers an awesome pad scratch function that imitates DJ Jazzy Jeff’s signature feel, plus it’s well-designed and easy to navigate. It even comes with Pioneer’s Serato DJ Lite software to get you started.

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Now is the time to create!

Sure, you may not need everything on this list -- but even a few tweaks to your overall workflow can help ensure that you’re as creative as possible. A great camera, audio interface, or microphone can seriously kickstart your artistic side -- and who knows, your art could eventually become your trade. Adorama has plenty of stock to ensure quick shipping times. Head to the Adorama website to browse for things to help make your day as artistic as possible.

Staying at home during the coronavirus outbreak is the smartest thing you can do, but it could be a struggle to find things to do to stay occupied. Though the first half of the day can be spent on work-related tasks, the rest of the day can prove to be challenging. 

Luckily, PC gaming is here to save the day, and gaming on the Omen 15 powered by a 9th Generation Intel® Core™ i7 processor is a real treat. It’s super portable, so you can set up your little gaming corner in almost any space in your house. You can use it to do office work during the day and then easily flip over to some great games when you need a bit of a break. Armed with plenty of storage, fast DDR4 RAM and a GeForce GTX 1660Ti graphics card, you’ll be able to enjoy all your games with smooth framerates and great performance. 

Of course, there are thousands of PC games out there, so choosing the right ones can be a bit tricky. Here are five great PC games you can play on the  Omen 15 that will keep you entertained for hours on end. 

Doom Eternal 

What’s better at curing boredom than hunting down demons? Grab your favourite weapons and dive into some brutal action with cutthroat fights, gory finishers, and phenomenal graphics. There are plenty of secret areas and challenges to explore as well, so make sure you’re stocked up on ammo before diving into battle. And no matter how many times you’re bashing away, the Omen 15 RGB keyboard is more than up to the task. 

Overwatch 

If you’re into team-based games and want a roster of unique characters to choose from, then Overwatch is the game for you. Team up with friends (or strangers) to frantically capture a point in the level or work together to move a payload through to its destination. It’s fast-paced and offers plenty of challenges, and if you really thing you’re up for it, you can queue up for ranked competitive matches to show off your skills. 

Ori and the Will of the Wisps 

This charming sequel is a beautiful game to play, filled with lots of areas to explore. The soothing soundtrack and gorgeous graphics are great to put your mind at ease but be prepared for challenging puzzles and some excellent action sequences. 

The Bang & Olufsen speakers on the  Omen 15 really help you enjoy the phenomenal background music that this game showcases. 

Fortnite 

It’s the game that’s sweeping the Internet, with thousands of gamers streaming their gameplay skills to the world. Team up with your friends and see how long you can survive against hordes of other players in this unique build-to-survive game. 

There’s a reason it remains one of the most popular games to play, so scour for loot, grab some supplies, and hunt your way to the top. And thanks to the 144Hz display refresh rate of the  Omen 15, you’ll be picking off your enemies faster than they can react. 

The Jackbox Party Pack 

If you’re looking at games to keep your family entertained, then The Jackbox Party Pack is a sure-fire hit. Just connect your  Omen 15 to your TV using the HDMI port, and then grab your phone or a laptop to join in on the myriad of games available. 

Design funny t-shirts, test your trivia knowledge in a murder house, or even try your hand at stand-up comedy. There are plenty of games to choose from depending on which pack you buy, but all of them are sure to deliver hours of entertainment. 

In the UAE, the  Omen 15-dh0000ne is available at Sharaf DG and Amazon, while in Saudi Arabia it’s available at Jarir. 

Yes, they're that good

I have a ridiculous number of headphones and earbuds. Some might call it an obsession. As a self-proclaimed minimalist, I've been trying to whittle down my unintentional collection. The problem is, each model does something unique or at least does it better than every other one.

I have a set of cans for listening to metal, a pair that gives me a mesmerizing movie experience, a noise-canceling set for practicing guitar, buds for running and for talking on the phone, a foldable set for travel, chunky, gaudy headphones for gaming, and, well, you get the idea.

When The Haymaker HM100 headphones landed on my doorstep, I was sure this was going to be yet another set that would do only one thing well. I was wrong. Here's what sold me on The Haymaker, and why I've gotten rid of all my other headsets.

The technicals

The Haymaker HM100s come from Haymaker, a Peak Audio LLC company. Haymaker is a small firm that's big on details. Their sole purpose: to make the only headphone you'll ever need.

The Haymaker comes with the highly-regarded Dirac 3D Audio and Dirac HD Sound baked in. If you're a gamer or immersed in VR, you've had some introduction to this technology. Dirac 3D Audio is what gives you that 360-degree surround sound experience that makes games, music, and movies come to life. 

The Haymaker HM100s also feature Bluetooth 5.0, active noise canceling, touch sensor controls, RGB lights on the headband and earpads, and two active noise-canceling microphones. Haymaker has also tossed in a spare set of speaker pads, a braided universal micro USB-C cord for charging, a 3.5mm aux cord, and a PC gaming controller adapter. And it all zips up nice and neat in a big, padded carrying case. If it sounds like a lot of gear, that's because it is. This is the first time I've unboxed a set of headphones and didn't need to go on a hunt for a cable, case, or controller. Everything you can imagine (and more) comes with The Haymaker.

How do they feel?

Cranking Zeppelin, drowning yourself in an action flick, throwing your all into a first-person shooter, and even chatting it up on the phone are all immersive experiences. When a speaker pad pinches your earlobes or a headband weighs too heavy on your noggin, it subtracts from your overall enjoyment. It causes you to tune out instead of tune in. It just “flat-out sucks.”

The Haymaker HM100s are comfortable from top to bottom. The thick headband is padded and sturdy, and it stays in place, whether you're sitting back in a gaming chair or running on the track. The speaker pads clamp down over your ears without force or pressure, creating a tight seal that locks sound in and muffles external noise even when active noise canceling is off. And if you wear glasses, the over-the-ear design never bites at your ears or causes irritation. Brilliant!

The button placement is logical and spaced out in a finger-friendly manner. The power and noise-canceling controls are on the left outer side of the frame, the aux cable slips into a port on the bottom left speaker pad, and charging and gaming cables happen in a port under the right side of the frame.

At 324 grams, The Haymaker HM100s feel sturdy in hand and while in use but are never too heavy to take up residence on your head for hours at a time.

Those lights, man!

LEDs have a solid foothold in electronics these days, especially gaming headsets. It's a love/hate stopping point for many. Some find them distracting and others seek out the flashiest set of cans on the market. I fall somewhere in the middle.

Thankfully, the Haymaker gives you options here. LED lights fill the outside of both speaker pads and also line the top of the head band. Holding your fingers down on the right pad turns the lights on, and swiping your digits over the logo cycles through eight vibrant color choices. The lights have four modes: static, flash, breathe, and cycle. Fade subdued shades in and out to your heart's content or ramp things up a notch and be the flashy one in the room. And if you find the RGBs too distracting, turn them off.

The important stuff: sound

Looking good and feeling good are nice but let's face it, functionality is what separates high-end headphones from the so-so models. 

When connected via Bluetooth or hardwired with the included aux cable, you can feel every thundering beat of the bass and drums in tunes, sail through the highs, and catch the mids. The bass won't blow you away, but it doesn't take a backseat either. The sound is crisp and balanced, precisely as it should be. When you want to drown out external voices or background chatter, the active noise canceling is solid. Whether you're deep in the throes of League of Legends, on a call, or relaxing with a session of music therapy, The Haymaker HM100s deliver the goods.

And the call quality is in a new league! Most headsets give you one mono microphone, but The Haymaker has two active noise-canceling mics built-in, both of which act to pull sound and voices to the forefront and push distracting background noises out of the way.

How I ended up with The Haymaker as my only set of cans

Today, I've pared down my audiophile obsession to a single pair of headphones: The Haymaker HM100. 

Thanks to superb surround sound courtesy of Dirac 3D Audio and Dirac HD, I've been happily donning The Haymaker for calls, gaming sessions, runs, and music. And because they're hinged just above the speaker pads, they fold down small. Coupled with manufacturer-guaranteed water-resistance, they meet my needs as a travel headset. The clear voice processing and stellar dual active noise-canceling microphones also make these a class-leading headset for making and taking calls. Needs met, and then some.

If you want one set of headphones that do everything and do it all well, grab The HayMaker HM100s because Haymaker may be right: these are the only headphones you'll ever need.

Huawei unveiled the Huawei P40 series to the world last week and it delivers on everything the P series stands for- high-end performance and a fantastic camera wrapped up in a gorgeous design that other phones will soon follow. 

Here are our favorite features from the Huawei P40 Pro.

Spectacular ID Design

The first thing you will notice about the HUAWEI P40 Pro is its design. The HUAWEI P series is always known for its stylish phones, and the HUAWEI P40 Pro continues that trend. You can see that upfront, the phone features a 'Quad-curve Overflow Display', with curved glass at all four edges, including the top and bottom. This is reminiscent of water on the overflowing from the rim of a filled cup. 

Additionally, super narrow bezels and streamlined round corners ensure an ergonomic hold and a near borderless look, while also being comfortable to use.

This screen also packs an improved in-screen fingerprint reader that can unlock your phone 30 percent faster. 

This is the gorgeous matte Silver Frost variant, but the P40 Pro is also available in a glossy Black finish here in UAE. As you can see, this design exudes classical elegance no matter how you look at it, while the matte finish also makes it fingerprint proof. 

Being a trendsetter in smartphone design is what Huawei does best, seen in the earlier P20 series gardient twilight colours and even the gradient finishes from last year’s P30 Pro. 

5G for today and tomorrow

The Huawei P40 Pro is powered by the Kirin 990 5G chipset which is the only flagship chipset with an integrated 5G modem. Competing phones have to use an external 5G model which affects performance and power consumption. 

Huawei continues to support both non-standard architecture and standard architecture 5G modes making it work with current and future versions of 5G. It also comes with support for 160MHz Wi-Fi 6 Plus technology for high-speed connectivity with support for 2,400Mbps peak theoretical transmission speed. 

You can also see a boost in display responsiveness and gaming experience are taken to the next level by the upgraded graphics rendering engine making the most of the 90Hz panel on the HUAWEI P40 Pro.

A camera that’s always ready

The P series has always impressed with camera technology and the Huawei P40 pushes this even further with its Ultra Vision Leica Quad Camera. The primary lens features an incredibly large 1/1.28 RYYB sensor- Huawei’s largest CMOS sensor to date. It supports pixel binning to achieve a pixel size of 2.44μm and Full Pixel Octa PD AutoFocus for high-speed focus at any time of day. The setup on the back includes a 50MP Ultra Vision Wide Camera, a 40MP Ultra Wide Cine Camera, a 12MP 5x Optical Telephoto Camera and a ToF Camera. 

The 40 MP Ultra Wide Cine Camera has a 1/1.54 inch sensor that allows taking stunning Ultra Low-light and Ultra Slow-motion videos. The ToF sensor helps with depth sensing and taking better portrait mode shots or videos. 

One thing we really like about Huawei is that it isn't shy about talking up the 'real', optical zooming capabilities on its phone. Other competing phones tend to confuse consumers with hybrid zooming capabilities- that sometimes are nothing more than digital zoom. Huawei is upfront with the P40 Pro that offers a large 12MP 5X optical zoom telephoto lens which is capable of zooming upto 50x closing in on your subjects. 

Upfront, the HUAWEI P40 Pro has a 32MP AF Camera and IR Depth Camera that support autofocus and Bokeh reproduction to deliver the same outstanding portrait effects that are signature to Huawei devices, as well as IR Face Unlock for device unlock even in low light conditions. 

Huawei was one of the first companies to add AI capabilities to its phone cameras and with the P40 Pro, it’s pushed even further. The Audio zoom feature lets you focus the audio to match where your camera is zooming into and amplifies the captured sound for a more realistic experience. 

There’s also a Golden Snap feature that uses AI algorithms to choose the best frames from a moving picture. It also allows you to remove an unwanted passerby from your photo- this is something many of us have experienced multiple times where our perfect photo is ruined by someone walking into the picture just when its clicked. Using AI, Huawei can now remove those unwanted people from your background making it the shot you intended it to be. With AI Remove reflection, you can also remove any glares from the frame. 

EMUI 10.1 and HUAWI AppGallery

The HUAWEI P40 Pro is powered by Android 10 operating system, with EMUI 10.1 running on top of it. This allows for a wide range of new features for a richer and seamless AI life. Huawei Share facilitates high-speed file transfer between the smartphone and other devices such as tablets and PCs, while also allowing for music streaming to smart speakers, screen projection and Multi-Screen Collaboration.

It also comes with HUAWIE AppGallery and HUAWEI Mobile services. Working in close collaboration with global developers, Huawei offers a wide range of global and local apps on AppGallery, Huawei’s official app marketplace and one of the top 3 app platforms in the world. There are a wide range of global and local apps, each optimized for Huawei devices, with an overall smooth and fluid experience. If users can’t find an app they are looking for, they can add it to a Wishlist after which they will be notified once its available. 

It comes with 4200 mAh battery But if you do run out of juice, you can quickly charge the P40 Pro using the 40W supercharger that comes inside the box. It supports the fast Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge. 

In the UAE Huawei is offering 8GB of RAM and 256GB which can be further expanded using Huawei’s nano memory cards. 

And there you have it, that’s the new HUAWEI P40 Pro, Huawei’s latest flagship that shows off gorgeous design, unprecedented 5G performance and a powerful camera setup like no other. 

The Huawei P40 Pro is now open for pre-orders for AED 3,499 with an estimated delivery of 9th April. Consumers that pre-order the phone will also receive the Huawei Watch GT 2, VIP service, 6 months one-time free replacement screen protection warranty, cloud service package and a Flip cover for free.