Huawei today unveiled its latest smartphones, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro. Each device shares distinctive features and some common ones, including a dedicated processor for running artificial intelligence functions. The phones also get much more modern designs which look similar to those presented throughout 2017.
Specifically, Huawei is now opting for glass rather aluminum for their Mate series. Both the 10 and 10 Pro have all-glass enclosures and are rated at IP53 and IP67 water and dust resistant, respectively. There’s even tiny bezels surrounding their displays.
Speaking of which, this is where things start to get interesting. The Mate 10 packs a 5.9-inch 16:9 Quad HD OLED display, whereas the Mate 10 Pro sports an ever-so-slightly larger 6-inch 18:9 Full HD+ OLED display. Sure, pixels don’t really matter as long as you can’t see them individually, but I’m not entirely sure why Huawei opted for a lower resolution on the Pro variant of the Mate 10 and a sharper screen for its cheaper option.
As for internals, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro both pack the new Kirin 970 processor paired with what’s called a Neural-Network Processing Unit. This addition, known as an NPU, helps compute artificial intelligence-powered features found throughout each device. For instance, there’s integrated Microsoft Translate to automatically translate words and text into your own language, while the camera can adapt to different scenes based on what’s being presented in front of it to capture the best possible shot. For instance, instead of manually switching to a food mode in the camera app, the Mate 10 can automatically identify food in front of you and adjust its sensor accordingly. The same goes for other objects like flowers.
But that’s not all. Since AI on the Mate 10 is powered by a chip, Huawei says all of the necessary computing is done locally inside your device so nothing gets sent up to the cloud. This is clearly a pretty major advantage over competitors who opt for cloud-based computing in the AI department such as Google, but it also puts the new Mates up against Apple’s iPhone which also uses device-based computing. It’ll be interesting to see how useful Huawei’s AI efforts turn out to be once the world gets a hold of both phones.
“As we enter the age of intelligence, AI is no longer a virtual concept but something that intertwines with our daily life. AI can enhance user experience, provide valuable services and improve product performance,” said Richard Yu, CEO, HUAWEI Consumer Business Group. “The HUAWEI Mate 10 Series introduces the first mobile AI-specific Neural Network Processing Unit, launching a new era of intelligent smartphones.”
Additionally, the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro ship with 4GB and 6GB of RAM respectively, with the former featuring 64GB of storage while the latter opts for 128GB. To compensate, the standard Mate 10 has a microSD card. The phones come loaded with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box with EMUI 8.0 on top and have enclosed 4,000mAh batteries, rechargeable via Huawei’s SuperCharge technology to go from 1 to 20 percent in as little as ten minutes. A fingerprint sensor sits on the front of the Mate 10, wehreas it’s mounted to the back of the Mate 10 Pro.
For cameras, Huawei is packing dual sensors on the backs of each handset with the main camera having 12MP while the secondary features 20MP. The company’s implementation is not unlike competitors’ who feature one main RGB sensor and a secondary monochrome lens for natural bokeh pictures and sharper black-and-white shots. Both cameras also have f/1.6 apertures, marking the second time such an aperture has reached a smartphone (the LG V30 was first to do this). Additionally, there’s an 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera.
Finally, Huawei is also including an alternative to Samsung’s DeX platform which allows users to connect a USB-C cable to their Mate 10 and a monitor to get a full desktop UI for improved productivity. No fancy docks or other accessories are needed, while Huawei says they’ll announce certified USB-C cables that work with PC Mode in the near future if you’re interested in trying it out.
AS for pricing, Huawei says the Mate 10 will launch for €699 (roughly $824.89) in more than fifteen countries including Spain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia. The Mate 10 Pro will start at €799 (roughly $942.86) and will launch in more than twenty-four countries. A special Porsche Design Mate 10 will also be introduced with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for €1395 (roughly $1646.50) likely in the same locations as the Mate 10 Pro. The Mate 10 will land later this month, while the latter two devices will land in mid-November.
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