Huawei Mate S Takes Aim at High-End Apple, Samsung Handset Models

Here’s a look at the Mate S and why Huawei believes it has what it takes to be a leader in a market that the Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Note 5 dominate.

One of the first questions some may ask is why they should even consider buying a Huawei smartphone. After all, Huawei isn’t named Apple or Samsung and it’s made in China. But the fact is, Huawei is growing in leaps and bounds, thanks in large part to its top-of-the-line specifications, combined with cheap prices. Huawei is arguably providing some of the most innovative products on the market while keeping shockingly low prices. Some buyers find that combination irresistible.

There’s something to be said about the Huawei Mate S design. The device is just 7.2mm thick, making it only slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 Plus. Meanwhile, Huawei has designed the screen with a small bezel, and a contoured design on the back makes the handset easier to hold. Overall, it’s hard to find fault in the Mate S design.

Previous high-end Mate devices from Huawei have come with screen sizes measuring 6 inches. Huawei’s decision to dial it back to 5.5 inches is a smart one. Most analysts that have evaluated sales show that 5.5 inches is the sweet spot for most customers seeking luxury smartphones, and Huawei’s decision to meet that mark means the company’s handset will appeal greatly to consumers of all types.

According to rumors, Apple will be launching its Force Touch technology in the next iPhone. However, Huawei’s Mate S has beaten the iPhone to the punch. With Force Touch, Mate S will recognize how hard a person is pressing down on the screen and respond accordingly. The feature, which is available only on certain models, adds more depth to the software experience and could be a major selling point for the Mate S and the next iPhone, alike.

The Mate S comes with Huawei’s “2.0” fingerprint-sensing technology. According to the company, the 2.0 version improves fingerprint-recognition speeds by 100 percent, compared with the previous model, and will support secure mobile payments with help from mobile wallet apps. The sensor also works with notifications, photos and other key features to enhance its security.

Huawei is touting the rear-facing camera built into the Mate S as a “professional” option for customers. The rear-facing camera has a 13-megapixel lens that allows for dual-tone flash and several filters. In addition, there’s a Professional Mode that controls shutter speed, exposure and light saturation. And for those into taking selfies, there’s even a mode for that.

Printing in the Mate S is “smarter” than on other devices, according to Huawei. The company says that when a document or image is displayed on the Mate S screen, users can tap on them and a printing icon will appear. The device will automatically connect to a compatible printer and print directly to it. For enterprise users who are going remote, that could be a handy feature.

Here’s an interesting idea: Huawei has not only bundled touch technology with the Mate S, but also knuckle technology. The display of the Mate S is smart enough to recognize when a knuckle is touching it instead of a finger. When users draw a letter on the screen with their knuckle (“c” for camera, for instance), the app will open. In addition, the knuckle can be used to quickly crop an image, take a screen snapshot and more.

The Huawei Mate S comes with support for dual SIM and dual 4G LTE. What that means is the device is capable of connecting to 13 “mainstream” LTE technologies worldwide and nearly every major network. Whether the customer is in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region or the Americas, the Mate S will be able to accommodate calling, texting and 4G LTE data on nearly all networks.

As noted, Huawei tends to offer smartphones at deeply discounted rates. At first blush, that doesn’t appear to be the case with the Mate S. The company is planning to offer the Huawei Mate S for preorder starting on Sept. 15. The model featuring 32GB of on-board storage will start at 649 euros (about $728), while the 64GB model will come in at 699 euros. Huawei hasn’t said when the Force Touch-equipped model will be available, but said that it will announce that information next month. Since it comes with dual SIM and dual 4G LTE, expect it to work in just about every developed country in the world. While those prices are in-line with Apple’s current devices, the Mate S has more advanced features. In other words, for the price, Huawei is still providing more value than competing high-end smartphones.