In 2021, smartphone brands are expanding by offering more than just their nifty little hand-held devices. The name of the game is AiOT and Huawei wants to expand on these smart devices by getting into the large display category with the introduction of their Huawei Vision S 4K LED TV.
Huawei offers 2 variants of these large-screen display TVs, a 55-inch screen and a 65-incher. We got the (relatively) smaller of the two and we were able to spend some time with it. Here’s our in-depth look at the Huawei Vision S 55”
Geeksthetic
With a minimalist aesthetic, Huawei Vision S sports ultra-thin bezels creating an almost boundless design aesthetic on the top and sides. The Huawei logo is prominently displayed at the middle part of the bottom bezel and underneath that is a small console that acts as your remote receiver and where the physical power button is placed.
The legs that came with the unit are ridiculously sturdy for how slim they are. I was thoroughly surprised with the weight and the material used. Unlike some LED TVs that opted to use plastic stands, the bare rectangle slant stands on the Vision S is made of sturdy metal. I particularly love the positioning of it as well.
Given that the base stands are facing front instead of towards the sides help save a bit of space on my already cramped make-shift table. Note to self, 55-inch tvs are HUUUGE!
Binge-Watching Factor
After work Netflix marathons, non-stop YouTube channel flipping, and pretty much watching anything on the Huawei Vision S is a great experience because of its large 4K LED panel that has a high enough refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
In fact, we found that the Huawei Vision S automatically boosts the framerate of majority of the shows and movies we’ve tried watching on Netflix, regardless of the material’s original framerate. Huawei’s Smart MEMC technology intelligently inserts 24/30 fps video into 120 frames. While it doesn’t hit 120 frames at all times, the Huawei Vision S pushes almost everything higher than the standard 24 fps.
While not ideal for movies that are intended to be viewed in 24FPS, it does add to the immersion to several kinds of content, especially when you tune in to those 4K live walk tours of various cities outside the metro. Being stuck at home for pretty much 2 years now, I’ve never truly appreciated these videos until now. And with a 55-inch, clear as day screen with high refresh rate, the immersion helps you get out of your own headspace even for just a few moments.
If you’re not a fan of this, or if you want to watch content in the intended frame rate, you can turn the function off or minimize the framerate boost under Dynamic Picture Compensation.
But binge-watching worthiness isn’t just about great visuals, audio needs to keep up as well. Luckily, the Huawei Vision S Series is equipped with 4 smartly-placed speakers that produces great audio. For a TV with built-in speakers, the Huawei Vision S does things right. At any given time, I had to keep the volume below the 50% mark (average of 15-37%) otherwise I’d risk of letting my neighbors know how much Netflix I’ve been watching or video games that I’ve been playing.
Because of how good the built-in speakers of the Huawei Vision S is, the tv allows you to turn the screen off and use it as a purely music player if you wish to. The Huawei Vision S comes with its own Huawei Video and Huawei Music apps that have pretty diverse and interesting offerings. While it may not be as robust as the likes of Spotify and other music streaming apps, it does do well with music discovery via Huawei’s existing playlists for various moods like Summer Revived, Poolside Disco and Beach Vibes
Gaming Prowess
Aside from binge-watching shows, we found Huawei Vision S is an amazing device for gaming. Because of the crystal-clear 4K UHD panel, its 120Hz refresh rate support with 8ms response time, and great audio fidelity, the Huawei Vision S pairs quite well with next-generation consoles.
We hooked the tv up to our trusty PlayStation 5 and tried a couple of games that I have on the system, most notably Spider-Man remastered and Devil May Cry 5, and both performed remarkably well regardless of what graphic mode I chose.
It’s all thanks to Huawei’s color-accurate 4K UHD Panel and the 120Hz refresh rate. If any, the only downside that we can see is Huawei not having HDMI 2.1 ports available but then, there are very few display devices that offer that. As this is going to be the standard moving forward, we hope that Huawei will adapt to this in future versions of the Huawei Vision S.
Everyday reliability
One obvious thing that sets the Huawei Vision S amongst any other smart tv in the market is the inclusion of a 13MP Magnetic Camera that supports 1080p MeeTime Videocall for an enhanced videocall experience. The detachable camera captures a wide angle and captures pretty good audio, too.
This is the future of video calls and you can live your Back to the Future II or Demolition Man Video Call on TV dream with the Huawei Vision S.
Of course, this integration best work with Huawei’s MeeTime Video Call App –allowing you to do HD calls with very low latency. This means, however, that the recipient needs to have a Huawei Account and MeeTime function to on their smartphone (or if you have friends who also have Huawei Vision S, that could work as well).
But having your subject project on wider screen just gives you amazing immersion – and the great thing aside from having clear video is the audio reception. Surprisingly, the mic on the Huawei Magnetic Camera is pretty decent as well.
This ease of communication is also enhanced by Huawei’s own Harmony OS – an all-in-one intelligent operating system that streamlines communication and optimizes your Huawei phones and other AioT devices with the Huawei Vision S.
Connect your phone with one tap on the remote
As a smart device, the Huawei Vision S can also function as a productivity hub where you can check your calendars, schedules, weather even traffic either via Petal Search or simply clicking your remote control and asking the TV itself. Just say “Hey Celia” and ask her to do pretty much everything.
Want to turn on a specific function of the TV, Celia can do that. Want her to change the brightness of the TV or turn the volume a tad down, just let her know; Celia is there to help.
You can even use your smartphone as a remote control or a mini-version of your TV via Mirror Mode. This is especially useful when you need to type text when you search for apps or whatnots. And aside from mirroring the tv in your phone you can of course mirror your phone to your TV via the OneHop Function.
Again, all of these can be seen in your Huawei Vision App that you can download on any Android phone you want to pair your TV with (yes, you do not need a Huawei phone). The OneHop Function allows you to cast your mobile games with minimal lag.
Final Verdict
These are but fractions of what you can do with the Huawei Vision S and we’re pretty much blown away already with it.
Personally, I’m very much impressed, and while people may be wary because of the lack of Google Play Store and Native Google apps, there are a lot of workarounds that you can opt for. Simply hooking your Huawei Vision S to a console eliminates a lot of those worry (Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, Spotify can be accessed via the PlayStation Dashboard). But more than that, for the entire month of May, if you purchase a Huawei Vision S, Huawei is throwing an OTT Box that gives you quicker access to various streaming apps like Netflix, Google Services, and AppleTV.
If you purchase the units within the pre-order period of May 7-21, they’ll throw in an additional free wireless microphone so you can do karaoke inside your homes and 2 mics for the larger 65” variant.
The SRP of the Huawei Vision S 55” is Php 36,990 but you can get it for Php 32,990 for cash/ straight payment purchases through official Huawei distributors and stores and Php 56,990 for the 65” variant which drops down to Php 49,990 when you purchase it via cash and/or straight payment terms.
Every purchase of the Huawei Vision S Series Smart Television during the May is entitled to free delivery as well.
For more info on the Huawei Vision S, do check the official Huawei Site here.