Nikon Z9 Teaser Briefly Shows Off The Camera’s Unique Rear LCD

Nikon has released a 30-second teaser video featuring its upcoming Z9 flagship camera. While it didn’t reveal much regarding the new camera, the video did highlight one feature that is exclusive to the product: a unique vari-angle rear LCD screen that is unlike those featured on most current generation mirrorless cameras.

Seen from the video, the Nikon Z9’s rear LCD can be tilted out to face the photographer at any horizontal or vertical angles without needing to be flipped out ala the more traditional vari-angle approaches. As pointed out by Petapixel, this new mechanism used by Nikon may be similar to the one featured on the Pentax K-1’s Flex-Tilt LCD screen, which functions somewhat similarly. Nevertheless, both methods are more straightforward when compared to regular vari-angles, and there’s no denying their usefulness – especially when shooting photos at difficult angles.

As for the camera itself, Nikon previously confirmed that the Z9 will come with a stacked CMOS sensor, a new first-party image processor, and the ability to record video at up to 8K resolution. And based on the photo included together with the camera’s first announcement in March, it will feature an integrated battery grip body that allows you to easily shoot in both horizontal or vertical orientations. Unofficial sources, on the other hand, suggest that the camera will feature either a 46MP, 50MP or a 60MP sensor, and an ISO range of 64 – 25,600, among other things.

Yet again, the company did not mention when the new Z9 flagship mirrorless camera is expected to launch. As previously reported, Nikon-specialised publication NikonRumors believes that the product will be fully unveiled officially later in fall this year.

Vivo S10’s Photochromic Rear Panel Enables For Interesting But Temporary Cover Designs

Vivo had recently unveiled its new S10 smartphone series in China last week. The series consist of a standard and Pro variants, which feature similar mid-range specifications but differ in terms of camera capabilities. Most interesting of all, both phones are the first from the brand to come with a rear cover which changes colour under direct sunlight.

This is thanks to an existing method known as photochromic technology, which has been re-engineered by Vivo in order to be used as smartphone covers. If the name sounds familiar, it is because the approach is also widely featured on certain eyewear – where its lenses would darken when exposed to bright sunlight and later revert back to normal when under normal or low lighting conditions.

The same effect also applies to the rear panels of the Vivo S10 series, which changes its default icy blue with an orange hue colour to a darker “Klein blue”. Vivo says that the process will only take three seconds to shift its tone under direct sunlight, and would gradually revert back to its original colour when kept away from it. Clearly, photochromic plays no significant role aside from being a visual gimmick, but it can be loads of fun with a bit of creativity.

Use this article’s header image for instance, which was shared by well-known leakster Ice Universe. In order to achieve something similar to that, simply place the Vivo S10’s rear panel underneath an object that features openings that allow sunlight to pass through, while also keeping some parts of the phone covered. In another example provided by Sparrow News, a flower is left on top of the case for a few seconds which then forms a very nice looking motif. As mentioned earlier, this is merely intended to be a nifty little trick to impress people at parties (probably).

Also, keep in mind that the photochromic effect isn’t to be confused with another colour changing technology that Vivo showcased last year, which was the electrochromic glass technology. Unlike the one featured on the S10, this piece of tech is a bit more fancier as it uses electricity to “turn off” an overlapping colour in order to expose a different one that is hidden below.

As for the smartphone series itself, both the standard and Pro variants come with the same 6.44-inch SuperAMOLED FHD+ display with 90Hz refresh rate, as well as an under-display fingerprint scanner. Housed within the screen’s notch is a 44MP + 8MP dual front camera system, while the upper bezel features dual front-facing LED lights which are similar to those offered on the Vivo V21.

The Vivo S10 series are powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 1100 chipset, paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. Powering the duo is a 3,970mAh battery with 44W fast charging technology via USB-C.

What sets both variants apart is the different primary cameras featured. The standard S10 model is equipped with a 64MP main camera, whereas the S10 Pro comes with a larger 108MP shooter. Both of which are accompanied by the same 8MP ultra-wide and 2MP macro cameras.

The Vivo S10 smartphone series is slated to go on sale in China on 23 July 2021 at a starting price of RMB2,799 (~RM1,832). The brand has not announced any plans of releasing either model in other regions at this time.

Alleged Huawei P50 Pro Design Leaks; Features Jarring Rear Camera Array

Huawei has yet to reveal any information regarding a next generation P-series flagship smartphone that is expected to be released this year. While official information is scarce, leaks of a supposed new model – most likely to be known as the P50 – has been circulating around the web, with the most recent one giving us a glimpse of what its Pro variant may look like.

Shared on Voice by renown leakster Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka OnLeaks) are a set of renders depicting the design of Huawei’s allegedly upcoming P50 Pro. “The design is going to shock you,” he wrote in his post, and we couldn’t agree more. As shown in the provided images, the phone’s most jarring design element is its unconventional-looking rear camera array which features a massive pill-shaped vertical island housing two large camera bumps. Hemmerstoffer believes that each bump is likely to further house multiple sensors instead of a humongous camera.

Meanwhile, the front side of the alleged P50 Pro is said to come with a 6.6-inch curved display with a small top-centered punch-hole cutout to house its selfie camera. The leakster added that the phone is built around a metal frame with a glass rear panel, and measures at 159 x 73 x 8.6mm in size. Other features include an under-display fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, USB-C charging port, and stereo speakers located on the top and bottom of the phone.

Meanwhile, the front side of the alleged P50 Pro is said to come with a 6.6-inch curved display with a small top-centered punch-hole cutout to house its selfie camera. The leakster added that the phone is built around a metal frame with a glass rear panel, and measures at 159 x 73 x 8.6mm in size. Other features include an under-display fingerprint sensor, IR blaster, USB-C charging port, and stereo speakers located on the top and bottom of the phone.

Besides the design renders and other minor details regarding the Huawei P50 Pro, Hemmerstoffer did not provide any further information regarding its specifications. Earlier rumours suggest that the new flagship will be powered by the in-house developed Kirin 9000 – the same chipset used to power the company’s Mate40 flagship series last year. It is also believed that the curved OLED panel is supplied by Samsung and LG – both of which were greenlit by the US government in late October 2020 to resume trade with Huawei.

As discussed before, it’s about time that smartphone designs receive some form of rework in order to distinguish each brand apart. In the P50 Pro’s case, on the other hand, it appears that Huawei is nailing that aspect but at the cost of looking a bit too jarring and bizarre. Provided that this leak is accurate, that is.