WORK WONDERS

From super smartphones to amazing apps, improve your performance with these timesaving tools

Fashion Quarterly features editor Phoebe Watt trials the Huawei P20 Pro and finds it can’t be beaten as far as maximising productivity

Anyone who watches my Instastories will be familiar with my penchant for mirror selfies, so the camera on the Huawei P20 Pro is right up there as a selling point. But as someone who also spends countless hours painstakingly transcribing recorded interviews, I would trade in every single megapixel for the AI Assistant app, which does the job for me in real time — saving me about half a day per one-hour interview.

With my schedule significantly clearer, I’m free to meet with clients, attend range viewings, and do all the social-media coverage that comes with this. In addition to answering emails on the go and checking in on the FQ group chat, I expect my phone to run out of battery by lunchtime, but thanks to the P20 Pro’s SuperCharge technology, I find myself cramming in two days of heavy usage between charges. FYI: If you’re caught short, a 10-minute charge will power the battery to 20 percent, while plugging it in for just half an hour powers it up to 58 percent.

Back at the office, I spend the afternoon sourcing imagery to accompany my stories. A total game changer for me, the P20 Pro’s Share 2.0 feature requires minimal setup and enables files to be shared between my phone and PC, meaning I can upload those behind-the-scenes pics I took at the morning’s interview (and a sneaky mirror selfie!) with ease. I’m also all about PC mode, which allows me to connect the P20 Pro to my work monitor and use all its features in a desktop environment. This eliminates the need to lug a laptop around, which the straps on my Anine Bing tote are thankful for.

One last little thing? Knuckle gestures! Knock twice on the screen with one knuckle to take a screenshot, or with two knuckles to start screen recording. You can also launch favourite apps by using your knuckle to draw a letter on the screen (C: camera; M: music; W: weather, etc). Huawei or the highway, people.

Huawei P20 Pro, $1299. Get yours today at Spark.