Since the advent of camera phone’s we’ve all become snap happy.

I fancy that we think there’s a Mario Testino inside us somewhere, just waiting to be discovered. The amount of ‘atmospheric shots’ of brick walls and rain that appear on my Facebook feed are enough to convince me this is true (please stop btw!).

In the interest of full disclosure here, I’m a smartphone addict. It’s by my side 24hrs a day. And one of my favourite functions is the camera. The rise in popularity of image based social media like Instagram and Snapchat, means that I’m not alone in this. We are becoming photography junkies and social media addicts.

Needless to say, when the Huawei P8 landed on my desk to check out, I was intrigued, as I’d heard that some of it’s main selling points were around it’s camera function. The P8 features the world’s first four-colour RGBW sensor, that is able to adjust the brightness depending on the environment, and its optical image stabliser ensures that all images are consistently sharp. It also has two new exciting functions; ‘Light Painting’ mode that allows the user to capture light and create beautiful images from it, and ‘Director Mode’ which allows the user to control up to 3 other android phones when shooting a video from four different angles simultaneously.

In line with this focus on the photography functionality, Huawei hosted the first ever Independent Instagram Awards Dublin, The Huawei Snapys. You can see photos from the big night here and check out the winners here.

I decided to bring the P8 around with me for the day and see if it could rival my current phone, to which I’m very brand loyal.

First things first, the packaging is slick. It really has the ‘wow factor’. The handset is sleek and slimline (6.4mm thin) with an elegant finish. It’s also lightweight enough for me to pop in in a small clutch bag (a vital requirement for some of us girls!). It is available in two colours, Titanium Grey and Champagne Gold.
 

 

My Saturday began with a superb breakfast in Eathos on Baggot St. Their acai bowl is the perfect start to a sunny day. I do love sharing food pics on Instagram with my fellow food fanatics and just look at the stunning colours in this photo!

 

Next stop was Metabolic Fitness on Drury St. for my weekly HIIT session, aka having my ass kicked. This is all you’re getting, because my purple sweaty face would have been a step too far to handle even for this wonder camera and its smart selfie function!

 

The afternoon was dedicated to retail therapy and more food. (Are you seeing a pattern yet? Hence my need for the gym!). It was one of those days when Dublin was looking it’s best. And the headset (provided with the P8) was super handy as it cut out 90% of the wind sound while I was chatting on the go.

 

I hit all my usual haunts, Folkster in Temple Bar is a must, followed by Powerscourt Centre to check out the Design Loft where you can find amazing Irish talent such as Chupi jewellery and Jill De Burca clothing. Then on to see what the surrounding streets had to offer. That part of town is great for people watching. Grab a coffee in Peruke & Periwig and sit of the steps to watch the world go by, or do as we did and head to Georges St Arcade to browse the stalls and grab a Froyo in Yogism (it’d be rude not to!).

 

 

A good friend once told me that when walking around a city you shouldn’t forget to look up, as often the most beautiful architecture is there. Just take a look at the building where the H&M flag ship store is housed.

 

 

There was still time to squeeze in a late brunch. On to the ever popular Taco Taco. The queue outside speaks volumes. But it’s worth the wait. This Duck Hash was awesome and the rest of the gang were extremely happy with their choices of Chicken and Waffles and Crab Cakes.

 

 

After a quick change and a disco nap it was time to meet up with the girls in Fade St Social. It always a good crowd, and even in Autumn the heated terrace makes it possible to sit outside and imagine that summer is just around the corner. The fact that I could up the volume by 58% above normal level meant that I could keep an eye on messages despite being in a busy environment.

 

I was really impressed with the Huawei P8. I think my favourite function, which is both fun and useful, is the “search phone by voice” function, which allowed me to call out to it if lost, and then it responds through its speaker to you! So handy if like me you tend to be a little forgetful.

If photos and social media are your thing, be it for your blog, or just because, then I’d highly recommend you check it out. It is available from free on most Bill Pay plans and is available with Vodafone, Three, Meteor, Tesco Mobile and Carphone Warehouse.

This article is sponsored by Huawei