Huawei Mate 8 Tips and Tricks

Looking for a great pair of headphones for your Huawei Mate 8? We provide the best deals, brands and information to guide you through the process.

How to decide

When choosing headphones, the main factors to consider are: price, quality and headphone type. Taking a moment to consider these factors will not only ensure you get the best value headphones, but also the best sound quality to listen to your music or movies. Remember that the Huawei Mate 8 comes with a standard 3.5mm stereo plug meaning all headphones will work on your device.

Price vs quality

As with most things, you get what you pay for and headphones are a very good example of this. A cheap pair of headphones may save you money in the short term, but may cost you when the cable snaps or your music sounds muffled or tinny. It is possible to get some great discounts, but we do recommend that you read the reviews and invest in a quality set of headphones. Beware of brands that you haven’t heard of, but be equally aware of big flashy brands that offer more style than substance.

Headphone types – Below we have listed the types of headphones to choose from:

Ear bud / earphones – These are the smallest type of headphones and are commonly included in the box when you buy phones and tablets. Our advice is to throw these away though, as they’re normally made very cheaply to increase the profit of the phone manufacturer. Invest in a quality pair from a reputable brand and you’ll be amazed at the difference in sound. Portability is the key advantage of ear bud style headphone as they can be stored almost anywhere; although it often means a few seconds of de-tangling before use. Ear buds are ideal for running, commuting or using in the office when you want to avoid distractions. Many people also buy two pairs in case one is temporarily missing down the side of the couch!

On ear headphones
– On ear headphones normally sit on top the ear, but don’t enclose the ear completely like the over ear or closed variety. These are handy if you want to store them in a jacket pocket or bag, but the sound can get a little lost out of the sides of the speaker so if you’re in a noisy environment, you may need turn them up in order to hear properly. If you’re moving around a lot they can also dislodge meaning you may need to frequently reposition them. Some people don’t like the bulk of the over ear style, so on ear headphones provide a good compromise between size and quality.

Over ear / closed headphones
– These are designed to completely cover the ear and are often used by DJs, for listening at home or for people who are a little more serious about their listening experience. Some models can fold up, but they are generally less portable than on ear headphones. Prices range from very cheap, up to the most expensive headphones on the market. Because all sound is directed into the ear, they provide the best quality sound and choosing a really top-end pair can be a truly pleasurable listening experience.

Noise cancelling headphones
– All of the above headphones also come in noise cancelling varieties. This works by filtering out background noises such as airplane engines or train noises. They are perfect for commuting and long distance train or plane travel, however they are often bulkier due to the need for some kind of battery pack. Some cheaper varieties might advertise passive noise cancelling which can simply means the plastic or foam casing naturally blocks out noises, so be careful of that. We recommend you choose active noise cancelling which employ a special technology to generate their own sound waves, which then cancels out the unwanted waves. Again, we recommend reading product reviews to choose the best value options.

Choose the best headphones below:

To help you choose, we’ve listed the best-selling headphones for the Huawei Mate 8. Simply click on the categories below to find out more:

Shop for: Ear bud / earphones

Shop for: On ear headphones

Shop for: Over ear / closed headphones

Shop for: Noise cancelling headphones

 

If you don’t want to hear the shutter sound when you take photos, then there are a few things you can try.

Firstly, some countries have laws to force the phone to play these sounds. Assuming you’re not in one of these countries, then the first thing you can try is to go to the Camera App – Settings – Shutter Sound – Off.

If that doesn’t work, then you can try turning the volume of the phone down or put it in silent mode when taking photos.

The last option is to Root your phone. If you don’t know what that means, then it’s best not to attempt it unless you have thoroughly read about the process. Once Rooted, go to this folder on your phone: /system/media/audio/ui and rename the camerashutter and/or cameraclick OGG files to something else.

Alternatively, on a rooted phone you can use a Root Browser, to edit /system/csc/feature.xml and set the option to TRUE. Then you should be able to go to Camera App – Settings – Shutter Sound – Off.

To take a screenshot on your device, press the Home and Power buttons at the same time.

Hold them for between 1-2 seconds and you should hear a camera shutter sound.

To locate the screenshot you’ve just taken, go to your Apps and find My Files.

Then it should be under Device Storate – DCIM – Screenshots.

It’s possible that they may also be found under Device – Pictures – Screenshots.

If you want to move the Screenshot to another folder, then long press on the file name. You should see a tick appear.

Then press the More button in the top right and select Move or Copy. Then select the destination of the screenshot/

There are a number of ways to speed up your phone. The following list are tried and trusted techniques:

Firstly, uninstall apps that you don’t use. Over time your device can get cluttered as some Apps are designed to always run in the background. If you don’t use an App very often, then uninstall it to free up memory and CPU resource.

Use Static wallpapers instead of Live ones. Live wallpapers often consume processing power and memory. Unless you really need them, uninstall them.

Use home screen widgets sparingly. These often slow down the phone and use up memory and CPU resources. If you don’t really need the widget, then uninstall it.

Install a great App called DU Speed Booster and DU Battery Booster. These Apps are prefect to run when your phone starts to slow down, you’re running out of memory or you want your battery to last for a few more minutes or hours.

Kill tasks occasionally – Some Apps will run in the background indefinitely unless you kill them. Most of them won’t cause a problem, but it pays to check your running tasks from time to time. Hold down your Home key and check the Task Manager.

To use your phone as a WiFi hotspot, tether it via USB or via Bluetooth, then go to Settings – Mobile hotspot and tethering.

You can then choose from three options:

1) USB – connect your phone via a USB cable. The phone should automatically configure the correct settings.

2) Mobile/WiFi Hotspot – To turn your phone into a WiFi hotspot, press Configure WiFi hotspot. You will then be asked to enter a Network SSID (this is your own name for the WiFi hotspot). Then choose Security and lastly, choose a password (this is password for your WiFi hotspot which you will enter on your computer).

3) Bluetooth – With this option, you will need to pair a Bluetooth device with your phone. On the other device, ensure you search for Bluetooth devices and your phone should show up.

To store a phone number that you have received in an email, hold down on the number and you will be given the option to call, send an SMS or add the number to your contacts

If you would prefer not to be told every time an Application has been updated, open the Play Store and press the Hamburger / Menu icons in the top left.

Then select Settings and untick the App updates available option.

Looking for a replacement battery for your Huawei Mate 8? We explain the available options and list the best battery choices for your device.

IMPORTANT – We take no responsibility for batteries purchased which you cannot use in your phone. Please ensure the following:
1) Check that your phone does actually have a removable battery
2) Check product descriptions before you buy to ensure compatibility with your phone

Short of time? Jump straight to batteries

Battery types
When choosing a battery there are three main types:

1) Replacement Batteries (Genuine / OEM) – OEM stands for Original Equipment Manufacturer and is the battery that the manufacturer has specifically produced for your device. This is normally the best option in terms of quality, time between charges and overall battery lifetime, but these batteries can be a little more expensive, so it depends on your priorities.

2) Replacement Batteries (Non-OEM / Generic) – Another cheaper option is generic or non-OEM batteries which are often mass produced in order to reduce their price. They can also provide longer battery life by having a higher mAh (see information below), so these can be a good alternative to OEM batteries if you want to save money. The quality can vary however, so we recommend that you read the reviews before buying. Another problem with generics is that they may make your device run hot and they can also void your warranty if your phone develops a fault. In general we would always recommend you buy a Genuine/OEM battery if you can afford to do so.

3) External Batteries– These are ideal if you’re going to be away from mains power for a period of time, such as camping, festivals and so on. The idea is that you charge the external battery pack (from the mains) and then charge the phone off that. Often external batteries will only last for one or two full charges, however very large packs (with a high mAh rating) are available if you’re going to be away for a longer time.

Understanding mAh
Before you buy, you should also check the mAh rating. This stands for milliamps delivered per hour rating and essentially tells you how long the battery will last before it needs recharging. A high end phone with a large screen may have a battery above 2500 mAh, whereas a mid-range model (with a smaller screen and less bulk), may only use a 1800 mAh battery. As mentioned above, sometimes generic batteries can have a higher rating than the genuine battery. For example, if your phone comes with a 2200 mAh battery, you can buy a 2400 mAh generic battery which should mean it will last longer between charges. As above, be careful with generics however.

Click to choose your battery
 

If you like your Apps neatly sorted into folders, or just need to clear up some space on your home screens, then there is a simple way to accomplish this.

First find the first App you would like in a folder. Then choose a second App.

Press and hold on the second App and drag it over the top of the first App. They will both combine into a folder.

You can repeat this process to add more.

To undo this, press to go into the folder. Then press and hold an App icon to place it outside of the folder again.

If you want to move a widget from one home screen to another, simply press and hold on the widget.

Then drag it to the edge of the screen.

The next home screen will appear.

Then, just drag the item to where you would like.