Huawei’s new Mate 10 Pro is a top end smartphone launched as part of the company’s new Mate 10 series. We reviewed the Mate 10 a couple of weeks ago and it’s time for the Mate 10 Pro to ensure our tests and benchmarks.
Design
In terms of looks, both the Huawei Mate 10 and the Mate 10 Pro sport metal frames sandwiched by glass. The look a bit different in terms of sizing – the Mate 10 Pro is more narrower and taller, while the Mate 10 is a bit wider. That’s because, while the Mate 10 comes packed with a 5.9-inch screen, the Mate 10 Pro manages to squeeze a 6-inch screen.
The Mate 10 Pro also comes with a superior AMOLED screen with an 18:9 aspect ratio. In terms of resolution, the Mate 10 offers 2560-by-1440 pixels with a pixel per inch (PPI) rating of 499. The Mate 10 Pro on the other hand, offers a resolution of 2160-by-1080 pixels at a PPI of 402.
On the front, while the Mate 10 features a oval shaped fingerprint scanner right below the display, that is missing in the Mate 10 Pro. Instead, Huawei has moved the fingerprint on the rear of the Mate 10 Pro in order to offer you a bigger screen real estate, with smaller bezels.
The back has a reflective stripe that houses the dual cameras. This is similar on both the Mate 10 Pro and the Mate 10. The AMOLED screen on the Mate 10 Pro is simply delicious to look at, though we hoped Huawei could have amped the resolution on it. Both – the Mate 10 Pro and the Mate 10 – support HDR content.
Specs
Under the hood, the Mate 10 Pro sports 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. The phone runs on Huawei’s very own Kirin 970 processor, which also powers the Mate 10. Not only does this processor offer a 20 percent speed boost over its predecessor, the Kirin 960, it also packs a Neural Processing Unit (NPU).
The NPU is designed to enable cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) and on-device AI to run in concert, faster than ever before. Your Mate 10 Pro or Mate 10 should make smart suggestions and run more efficiently as a result.
A major advantage you get when you buy the Mate 10 Pro is its IP67 rating. The Huawei Mate 10 Pro can take a dunk in up to 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes and emerge unharmed.
Performance
In terms of performance, the Mate 10 Pro is definitely powerful than the Mate 10 simply because it packs in 6GB of RAM compared to the 4GB on the Mate 10. Even though both the smartphones use Huawei’s Kirin 960 processor, the extra RAM gives the Huawei Mate 10 pro a boost in terms of performance.
Both the Mate 10 and the Mate 10 Pro pack big batteries rated at 4000mAh. You’ll also enjoy fast charging capable of taking the battery from zero to more than 50 percent in just 30 minutes. However, the glass backs don’t support wireless charging – so you’ll have to reply on the device’s USB-C port.
The Mate 10 and the Mate 10 Pro also supports desktop mode. All you need to do is, use a USB Type-C-to-HDMI dongle, plug the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro into the dongle and then plug the other end into TV or monitor. By doing this, you can control the external display with the phone, or with a keyboard and mouse if they’re connected. You can continue using the phone separately while outputting to the TV.
This is a major plus point for professionals who keep traveling and would want to edit documents on the go on a big screen. In terms of camera, both the smartphones pack in a 20-megapixel monochrome camera alongside a 12-megapixel RGB camera. They both have large f/1.6 apertures, which offers great performance in low light conditions.
The Mate 10 Pro also comes with a Portrait Mode that offers a solid bokeh effect, which blurs the background, but only the RGB camera has optical image stabilization. Around front, you’ll find the same 8-megapixel camera on the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro. In terms of OS, the Mate 10 Pro and the Mate 10 run Android 8.0 Oreo, along with Huawei’s EMUI 8 on top.
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro takes the Mate 10 Series to the next level by offering an excellent design and build quality, awesome display and IP67 water resistance. The Mate 10 Pro also wins out over the Mate 10 in terms of overall performance.
For a price of AED 2999 the Mate 10 Pro is quite competitive and offers great value in terms of features it accompanies. If you are looking for a high-end smartphone to splurge on and want to be up to date with the latest tech on the market, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro should be on top of your list.
Price: AED 2999
