Huawei smartphones have carved a unique niche through their relentless focus on cutting-edge mobile photography. And its P Series smartphones have carried the standard for its relentless pursuit of innovation. This journey of P Series smartphones began in 2012. It was a lineup dedicated to pushing the boundaries of mobile imaging and design. Now, after over a decade, this iconic camera-centric smartphone series is transforming, reborn as the ‘Pura Series’. This name change signifies an evolution. Pura, meaning “Purity,” sets the series’ new tone, signifying a bold fusion of fashion and technology, refined design, and an audacious vision for the future of mobile photography.

The three new smartphones – HUAWEI Pura 70, HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro, and HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra –bring new pioneering features to the smartphone market, and have once again delivered on camera innovations, continuing the long-standing hallmark of the smartphone series. After a comprehensive review, renowned tech lab DXOMARK has crowned the HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra as its top smartphone camera, awarding it a score of 163. The review highlighted the smartphone camera’s excellent colour accuracy, earning the phone a historic all-time high rating in the category, and leading autofocus capabilities. The camera showed strong performance in other categories as well.

One of the key focuses of the Pura Series is its dedication to aesthetic design. Pura isn’t shy about its ambition to be a fashion statement and explore a powerful fusion of classic artistic styles, modern aesthetics, and trends plucked right from the runway. Starting with the design, the Pura 70 Ultra features a stunning Starry Pattern back panel that is sure to turn heads. The intricate embossed texture gives the phone a premium feel, while the gleaming starry motif evokes the lights dancing on the Seine River in Paris at night. The delicate plaid texture embossed onto the back panel adds a unique tactile feel, and the vegan leather finish elevates the overall elegance. The XMAGE label and red-ringed primary camera lens add a final touch of sophistication.

But the real star of the show is the camera system. The headline feature is the Ultra Lighting pop-out camera featuring a 1-inch sensor, a first for any smartphone. When you are shooting, the lens smoothly extends from the body with a satisfying mechanical whir, like professional camera gear. This isn’t just a hardware gimmick. The retractable design means the lens physically extends when you activate the camera, allowing Huawei to pack a massive 1-inch sensor and an f/1.6 aperture into a body that’s just 8.4mm thick. It’s a truly innovative solution.
The 1-inch sensor is a game-changer too. It’s significantly larger than what you’ll find on most smartphones. This translates to better light-gathering capabilities, improved low-light performance, wider dynamic range, and a shallower depth of field for that beautiful bokeh effect. In short, that means, better photos, especially in low-light situations. Combined with HUAWEI’s XD Fusion Pro image processing engine, the results are simply stunning.

A big sensor is only part of the equation. To capture the perfect moment, no matter how fleeting, you need speed, and with the Pura 70 Ultra’s Ultra Speed Snapshot feature, you can do just that. This feature uses multiple short and long exposures in tandem with the HUAWEI XD Motion Engine to capture fast-moving subjects with stunning clarity, allowing this phone to freeze time in ways that were once thought impossible.

The Ultra Speed Snapshot feature employs a combination of motion detection algorithms and predictive autofocus, enabling the camera to lock onto fast-moving subjects and freeze them in time, even at speeds up to 300km/h. Whether you’re trying to photograph a bird in flight, a dancer in motion, or an F1 car zooming by, the Pura 70 Ultra is up to the task. The advanced motion algorithms ensure the foreground subject is crisp while the background remains clear and detailed.

What if you prefer your subjects small and up close? Well, the Pura 70 Ultra has you covered there too. The Ultra Lighting Macro Telephoto Camera can capture highly detailed macro shots from just 5cm away, with up to 35x magnification. You can capture the intricate veins of a leaf and fill the frame with a single flower petal or insect wing and reveal details invisible to the naked eye.

What’s equally remarkable is that Huawei has done it all while also improving the phone’s durability. The Pura 70 Ultra steps up with Crystal Armor Kunlun Glass, a nanocrystalline material that’s both harder and more flexible than traditional smartphone glass and dramatically boosts scratch resistance by 300%, while also improving drop resistance. It’s the kind of durability that gives you the confidence to take this camera phone on all your adventures.

Speaking of adventures, the Pura 70 Ultra is always ready for action thanks to 100W wired and 80W wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge. You can top up the 5200mAh battery to 50% in just 15 minutes, whether you’re plugged in or going cord-free. Whether you’re topping up between flights at the airport or powering up wirelessly in your car, the Pura 70 Ultra is ready when you are.

The HUAWEI Pura 70 Ultra in Starry Pattern Design Green, Brown and Black priced at AED 5099. The HUAWEI Pura 70 Pro in Black and White is priced at AED 3999. The HUAWEI Pura 70 in Black, White and Pink priced at AED 2999 is available for pre-orders in the UAE starting from May 15th with gifts worth of AED 898 including HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro 3 and HUAWEI Care+ 6-month package, from Huawei Experience Stores, e-shop and selelct retailer across the UAE.

Acer has expanded its line of Chromebook Plus laptops with the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4H/T), providing users with a performance-minded, compact and durable model that enables them to do more with the AI-powered capabilities of ChromeOS. “The new Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4H/T) delivers the sought-after combination of a portable design, 14-inch Full HD display and performance-minded technology that lets users get the most out of exciting capabilities offered with Chromebook Plus,” said James Lin, General Manager, Notebooks, Acer Inc. “Students, businesses, families, and individuals need to be more productive, connected and empowered than ever, and can achieve this using Acer Chromebook Plus devices.”

The new Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is the latest addition to Acer’s lineup of Chromebook Plus laptops that offer enhanced Chromebook performance and experiences, emphasizing better hardware designs with upgraded displays and cameras paired with powerful productivity, creativity, and multimedia capabilities.

Like all Acer Chromebook Plus laptops, users have the power to do more with the new Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4H/T). Powered by an Intel Core i3-N305 processor and an ample 8 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 provides 2x the speed, memory, and storage, giving responsive performance and efficient multitasking, whether running built-in AI-powered apps like Google Docs and Photos, watching favourite shows in full HD on a 1080p display, or movie-making with LumaFusion. Plus, the processor ensures all-day enjoyment with up to 11 hours of usage on the fast-charging battery.

The Chromebook’s 14-inch Full HD display features IPS technology, 300-nit brightness, and wide viewing angles, ensuring everything on it – from video and photos to images and text – is vibrant, crisp, and clear. The display is the perfect palette to take on AI-powered graphic design and photo editing tools, like Magic Eraser in the built-in Google Photos app as well as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Express powered by Adobe Firefly generative AI. Additionally, the Chromebook Plus 514’s display is available in touch- and non-touch models, with anti-glare coating, so it can be enjoyed in bright-light conditions.

The Chromebook Plus 514’s powerful combination of fast and reliable Wi-Fi 6E and conferencing tools makes staying in touch easy and enjoyable. The 1080p webcam features Temporal Noise Reduction (TNR) for noise cancellation, plus AI-powered tools that enhance clarity, lighting, and blur backgrounds. The webcam’s facial auto exposure feature adjusts the exposure based on the lighting conditions around the subject’s face for more flattering images; it also features the Blue Glass lens to produce high-quality imagery even in low-light conditions. When privacy is needed, the webcam can be closed with a physical shutter, or users can mute the dual microphones and turn off the camera with a single click. Plus, the exceptional visuals are complemented by dual upward-firing speakers with DTS Audio.

This new line will be sold in configurations with up to 512 GB of storage to ensure users can store important creations locally. When Acer Chromebook Plus 514 users are away from an internet connection, File sync on Chromebook Plus keeps Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides always accessible, whether online or offline.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 was designed to be portable yet durable, so users can experience its powerful performance on-the-go throughout their day. Weighing only 1.43 kg and measuring 20.5 mm thick, the new Chromebook is U.S. MIL-STD 810H compliant, making it ready to stand up to daily wear and tear. Also, it can be connected to the latest devices, either via Bluetooth 5.2 or through its wide port selection that includes dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports (one on each side) supporting USB Charging.

In line with Acer’s commitment to create a continuous positive impact on the environment, the new Acer Chromebook Plus 514 supports the company’s Earthion mission, boasting several EPEAT registrations as well as eco-friendly features such as the OceanGlass touchpad made of ocean-bound plastic waste. It contains recycled materials, sustainable packaging, and an energy-efficient design that meets Energy Star certification.

The new Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is available with Chrome Education Upgrade for seamless device management in schools. Chrome Education Upgrade helps administrators manage devices at scale and will offer admin policies to help manage all Chromebook Plus features. The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a great device for educators and staff, as well as higher education students, helping them access tools like Screencast, Adobe Express, and File Sync to enable offline productivity. Equipped with powerful controls, administrators can maximize productivity, streamline device usage, and easily deploy security configurations to ensure their school community remains safe from threats. Administrators can also leverage Chrome Education Upgrade’s functional features such as zero-touch enrollment and 24/7 Google support.

The new Chromebook Plus line is also available with Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, unlocking the built-in business capabilities of ChromeOS. The Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 514 enables IT departments and the workforces they support to onboard quickly with zero-touch enrolment, stay productive with easy to manage device policies that simplify user experiences, and keep data and users safe with features like data controls and remote device wipe to prevent data leaks. With 24/7 IT Admin support and ChromeOS troubleshooting assistance, managing updates, insight reports, and technical issues have also been made easier.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4H/T) will be available in EMEA in June, starting at $479.

Sony Middle East and Africa (MEA) has clocked up tremendous growth up until Q3 FY2023, across key product categories. Globally forecasted consolidated sales and operating revenue of Sony Corporation for FY’23 is approximately 86.6 billion with an operating profit of USD 8.3 billion. Whereas specific to Consumer Electronic business (part of ET&S) forecasted sales and operating revenue is 17 billion and 1.2 billion respectively.

Building on this success, Sony MEA has unveiled a groundbreaking lineup of new and innovative products across television and audio for 2024, setting the stage for immersive home entertainment experiences and strengthening its market leadership. This year’s lineup will expand Sony MEA’s regional consumer base, catering to various age groups and consumer preferences.

Sony MEA’s latest range of new BRAVIA TVs and BRAVIA home audio devices reimagine the cinematic experience at home. The newly announced TV models feature greatly improved picture quality with high brightness, colour volume, clear shadow details in dark scenes, and sound coming directly from the screen reflecting creators’ true intent. In addition, the latest BRAVIA home audio devices include an array of soundbars, a home theatre system, and a neckband speaker, which together offer multiple options to enjoy immersive cinematic sound and go perfectly with the new BRAVIA TVs.

In the premium audio segment, Sony has unveiled the ULT POWER SOUND series, which is built for music lovers who enjoy powerful, deep sound. The lineup features three wireless speakers – the ULT TOWER 10, ULT FIELD 7 and ULT FIELD 1 – as well as wireless headphones ULT WEAR, so that customers can experience elevated sound pressure and deep bass. The series is aimed at young people, including Gen Z, who want to feel the powerful sound of being in the front row of an arena at parties with friends and family, at music events, and wherever they are.

Jobin Joejoe, Managing Director of Sony Middle East and Africa, said, “The Middle East & Africa region is one of the fastest growing markets for our large-screen TVs, particularly in the 75” and 85” screen segment, with the largest market share in the GCC. We are thrilled to bring the latest premium entertainment experiences to our customers in the region to support the growing appetite for OTT platforms and inspire more people to invest in an elevated home entertainment experience. We believe technology is a tool to add more value and opportunity for a richer and more emotional life, and therefore, we have made it easier for consumers to choose and combine the complete home entertainment package.”

Sony is actively involved in supporting content creators and nurturing their growth by developing regional mentorship programs, bringing industry experts, like-minded brands and creators under one roof through events such as the Sony Creators Convention, Alpha Festivals, Sony Cinema Line Event, and workshops in the region. In addition to the upcoming product launches, Sony Group has also become the founding partner of Esports World Cup to unite the global and esports gaming communities, broadening the appeal of gaming and esports and nurturing promising creators and talent in the region.