Huawei Hits High-End Market With AI Chip-Equipped Mate 10 Smartphones

Chinese telecommunications company Huawei is targeting the high-end smartphone market with a new line of handsets called the Mate 10. The smartphones, which run the new Android Oreo mobile operating system, come with big screens bordered by narrow bezels all around. They also have powerful camera sensors and, with Kirin 907 processors, should run sophisticated apps with ease. But they also have some design quirks that could turn customers away. While Huawei isn’t explicitly positioning the handsets as competitors to the iPhone or Samsung Galaxy models, they do have high-end features and prices. This slide show will examine the new Huawei Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and Porsche Design Mate 10 models, including features that are likely to attract and possibly turn away buyers.

Huawei’s latest smartphone line starts with the Mate 10 base model. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is slightly higher-end, but has the same basic design as the standard version. The top of the line is the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10, a modified and more streamlined handset designed in partnership with the iconic sports car maker. Its technical specs are identical to the Mate 10 Pro.

The Huawei Mate 10 has a 5.9-inch screen featuring a 16:9 aspect ratio. To deliver more vivid colors, the screen supports high dynamic range 10, or HDR10, technology. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro has a true 6-inch screen that’s extended a bit for an 18:9 aspect ratio. The Mate 10 Pro uses OLED technology and similarly comes with HDR10.

The Huawei Mate 10 features an up-to-date  smartphone design with narrow bezels all around. A physical home button is located below the display. With its larger screen size, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro doesn’t have a physical home button. However, its glass display doesn’t cover the entire face like the iPhone X. Rather, there’s a bezel at the bottom.

Huawei’s handset includes the Kirin 970 processor. The chip has a 10nm process and runs on an octa-core design. The device also has a 12-core GPU, a first for Huawei. The company says the Kirin 970 is optimized to work well with artificial intelligence applications. Huawei is promising industry-leading performance with the Mate 10 line.

Both the Huawei Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro have 4000mAh batteries that are capable of lasting all day without any trouble. The batteries have fast-charging technology and artificial intelligence features to optimize consumption.

Huawei partnered with Leica for the cameras in the Mate 10 devices. The handsets have dual-lens rear-facing cameras, with one lens featuring 12 megapixels and another delivering 20-megapixel resolution. The cameras also have a motion detector built in that Huawei says will ensure better performance with motion.

The Mate 10 line comes with several connectivity tools to improve call clarity. The devices’ intelligent cell search feature seamlessly connects the smartphones to the cell towers offering the best signal. This artificial intelligence feature also boosts sound volume and intelligently applies noise cancellation to improve sound quality.

Huawei’s Mate 10 devices will be among the first to run on Android Oreo. However, the smartphone won’t come with a standard Android user interface. Instead, Huawei has added its EMUI user interface, which includes a multicolumn display and smart split screen to improve multitasking. There’s also a navigation dock that lets users quickly call up mobile apps.

The similarities between the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro are numerous. But the Mate 10 Pro has an IP67 rating, which protects against the elements. The Mate 10 Pro should fare well if faced with water or dust intrusion, except in extreme circumstances.

Huawei has priced the Mate 10 at $824, while the Mate 10 Pro will cost $942 and the Porsche Design Mate 10 will be priced at $1,645. However, Huawei hasn’t yet announced when the models will be available in the U.S. The company has stated the Mate 10 will be available starting in late October in more than 15 other countries and regions, and the Mate 10 Pro will be available in the same countries in mid-November. The Porsche Design Mate 10 will be available in mid-November in countries to be announced later.