After a two-year hiatus, the Huawei Mate series is back with the Huawei Mate 50 Series smartphone that is rocking some pretty serious features that are industry’s firsts. Rightly, the new Mate 50 should be rather exciting if not for the lack of speedy 5G connectivity.
For the new Mate series, there are just two devices in the main lineup, namely Mate 50, and Mate 50 Pro. In addition to the requisite Porsche Design variant, there is actually another entry-level Mate 50, called Mate 50E which is not quite in the same league as the rest as it runs on Snapdragon 778G while the rest of its sibling is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ 1 Gen, sans 5G, of course.
For a start, Huawei has ditched the industry-standard Corning Gorilla Glass for a self-developed Kunlun Glass that is said to offer 10 times more drop resistance for the entire device. Though it is not clear what is the benchmark for the “10x” more drop resistance. Huawei said that its Kunlun Glass is the world’s first to be certified 5-star for resistance against drop by SGS.
While the device is IP68 rated against dust and water ingress but its water resistance is not merely a meter or 1.5 meters. Huawei claims that the Huawei Mate 50 Series is waterproofed to 6 meters or about 20 feet (!). Correct me if I am wrong but I think that is the first for smartphones.
And then there’s the 50 MP OIS main camera that has the world’s first six-blade variable aperture. The variable offers F-stop from ƒ1.4-ƒ4.0 and the main camera system is further bolstered by a 10-channel multispectral sensor and laser autofocus. Moreover, the Pro model is rocking an iPhone-ish narrow notch that has a 13 MP ultrawide camera with ƒ2.4 aperture and a 3D ToF sensor for 3D face unlock. The camera is capable of auto-switching its angle for a selfie or wefie.
Another highlight is that it is the first smartphone to support Beidou Satellite Messaging. With this feature, it allows text to be sent, as well as location information, via satellite, in the event that a terrestrial network is not available. Through multiple locations, it can even generate a track map to allow rescue personnel to reach you in an emergency.
There is no doubt Huawei is pushing hard in other areas in lieu of the lack of 5G. It may be a hard sell in its home country where speed is king. Elsewhere, the lack of Google may remain the main stumbling block more than the fact that it is a 4G device.
The Huawei Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro are available for pre-order now with a starting price of 4,999 RMB and 6,799 RMB (about US$718 and US$976), respectively. Keep going for a table of summary of the specifications of both the Mate 50 and Mate 50 Pro.
Huawei Mate 50 | Huawei Mate 50 Pro |
|
|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.7-inch 2700 x 1224 resolution OLED display Up to 90 Hz refresh rate 300 Hz touch sampling rate 1440 Hz high frequency PWM dimming 1.07 billion colors P3 wide color gamut | 6.74-inch 2616 x 1212 resolution OLED display up to 120 Hz refresh rate 300 Hz touch sampling rate 1440 Hz high frequency PWM dimming 1.07 billion colors P3 wide color gamut |
| Chipset | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G Mobile Platform Octa-core, 1 × [email protected] + 3 × [email protected] + 4 × [email protected] Adreno 730 GPU 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G Mobile Platform Octa-core, 1 × [email protected] + 3 × [email protected] + 4 × [email protected] Adreno 730 GPU 7th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine |
| Memory | RAM: 8 GB ROM: 128/256/512 GB NM SD Card, up to 256 GB | RAM: 8 GB ROM: 256/512 GB NM SD Card, up to 256 GB |
| Camera | Rear Camera: 50 MP Ultra Aperture Camera (ƒ1.4~ƒ4.0 aperture) 13 MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera (ƒ2.2 aperture) 12 MP Telephoto Camera (ƒ3.4 aperture, OIS) Autofocus Mode: phase focus, contrast focus Zoom Mode: Digital Zoom, Optical Zoom, Hybrid Zoom Image Stabilization: OIS/AIS Image Resolution*: Support up to 8192 x 6144 pixels Video Recording**: Support up to 3840 x 2160 pixels Rear Flashlight: LED flash *The actual image resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. **The actual video resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. Rear Camera Capture Mode: Night, Super Macro, Macro, AI Cinemagraph, Story Creator, High-res, Time-Lapse, Ultra Wide Angle Lens, Aperture, Dual-View Video, Portrait, Pro, Slow-Mo, Panorama, Monochrome, Light painting, Filter, Stickers, Documents, Master AI, Moving Picture, Snapshot, 4D Predictive Focus, Capture Smiles, Audio Control, Timer, Burst Shooting Front Camera: 13 MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera (ƒ2.4) Image resolution*: Support up to 4160 x 3120 pixels Video resolution**: Support up to 3840 x 2160 pixels *The actual image resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. **The actual video resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. Front Camera Capture Mode: Slow-Motion Selfie, Intelligent Field Of View, Smart eye-tracking, Portrait, Panorama, AR Lens, Time-Lapse, Moving Picture, Filter, Stickers, Capture Smiles, Mirror Reflection, Audio Control, Timer | Rear Camera: 50 MP Ultra Aperture Camera (ƒ1.4~ƒ4.0 aperture) 13 MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera (ƒ2.2 aperture) 64 MP Telephoto Camera (ƒ3.5 aperture, OIS) Autofocus Mode: phase focus, contrast focus Zoom Mode: Digital Zoom, Optical Zoom, Hybrid Zoom Image Stabilization: OIS/AIS Image Resolution*: Support up to 8192 x 6144 pixels Video Recording**: Support up to 3840 x 2160 pixels Rear Flashlight: LED flash *The actual image resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. **The actual video resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. Rear Camera Capture Mode: Night, Super Macro, Macro, AI Cinemagraph, Story Creator, Audio Zoom, High-res, Time-Lapse, Ultra Wide Angle Lens, Aperture, Dual-View Video, Portrait, Pro, Slow-Mo, Panorama, Monochrome, Light painting, Filter, Stickers, Documents, Master AI, Moving Picture, Snapshot, 4D Predictive Focus, Capture Smiles, Audio Control, Timer, Burst Shooting Front Camera: 13 MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera (ƒ2.4) + 3D Depth Sensing Camera Image resolution*: Support up to 4160 x 3120 pixels Video resolution**: Support up to 3840 x 2160 pixels *The actual image resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. **The actual video resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode. Front Camera Capture Mode: Slow-Motion Selfie, Intelligent Field Of View, Smart eye-tracking, Portrait, Panorama, AR Lens, Time-Lapse, Moving Picture, Filter, Stickers, Capture Smiles, Mirror Reflection, Audio Control, Timer |
| Battery | 4460 mAh (typical value) HUAWEI SuperCharge (Max 66 W) The phone supports 11V/6A (Max) super-fast charging and is compatible with 10V/4A or 10V/2.25A or 4.5V/5A or 5V/4.5A super-fast charging, and 9V/2A fast charging. *HUAWEI SuperCharge cable and charger is required. Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge (MAX 50 W). *Wireless chargers sold separately. **To reach a maximum charging rate of 50 W, need to purchase HUAWEI SuperCharge Wireless Charger Stand (Max 50 W) or HUAWEI SuperCharge Wireless Car Charger (Max 50 W), and used with specific HUAWEI 66 W Power Adapter. | 4700 mAh (typical value) Huawei SuperCharge (Max 66 W) The phone supports 11V/6A (Max) super-fast charging and is compatible with 10V/4A or 10V/2.25A or 4.5V/5A or 5V/4.5A super-fast charging, and 9V/2A fast charging. *HUAWEI SuperCharge cable and charger is required. Wireless Huawei SuperCharge (Max 50 W) *Wireless chargers sold separately. **To reach a maximum charging rate of 50 W, need to purchase HUAWEI SuperCharge Wireless Charger Stand (Max 50 W) or HUAWEI SuperCharge Wireless Car Charger (Max 50 W), and used with specific HUAWEI 66 W Power Adapter. |
| Network | SINGLE SIM MODEL Primary SIM Card CET-LX9 (Single SIM model) 4G LTE FDD: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 4G TD-LTE: Bands 34/38/39/40/41 3G WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G GSM: Bands 2/3/5/8(1900/1800/850/900 MHz) *Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment. DUAL SIM MODEL Primary SIM Card CET-LX9 (Dual SIM model) 4G LTE FDD: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 4G TD-LTE: Bands 34/38/39/40/41 3G WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G GSM: Bands 2/3/5/8(1900/1800/850/900 MHz) *Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment. Secondary SIM Card 4G LTE FDD: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 4G TD-LTE: Bands 34/38/39/40/41 3G WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G GSM: Bands 2/3/5/8(1900/1800/850/900 MHz) *Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment. *Either SIM card can be set to accommodate the primary or secondary SIM card. | SINGLE SIM MODEL Primary SIM Card DCO-LX9 (Single SIM model) 4G LTE FDD: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 4G TD-LTE: Bands 34/38/39/40/41 3G WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G GSM: Bands 2/3/5/8(1900/1800/850/900 MHz) *Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment. DUAL SIM MODEL Primary SIM Card DCO-LX9 (Dual SIM model) 4G LTE FDD: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 4G TD-LTE: Bands 34/38/39/40/41 3G WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G GSM: Bands 2/3/5/8(1900/1800/850/900 MHz) *Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment. Secondary SIM Card 4G LTE FDD: Bands 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/66 4G TD-LTE: Bands 34/38/39/40/41 3G WCDMA: Bands 1/2/4/5/6/8/19 2G GSM: Bands 2/3/5/8(1900/1800/850/900 MHz) *Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment. **Either SIM card can be set to accommodate the primary or secondary SIM card. |
| Connectivity | WLAN 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2 × 2 MIMO, HE160, 4096 QAM, 8 Spatial-stream Sounding MU-MIMO *Download and upload peak physical rate up to 3.6 Gbps (Note: Need router support) Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.2, Support BLE, SBC, AAC, LDAC. USB USB Type-C, USB 3.1 GEN1, supports DP1.2 *This function should be used with the USB cable (non-standard USB cable, need to be purchased separately) that supports this function. **The inbox USB cable supports USB 2.0. Support USB Type-C earphones | WLAN 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2 × 2 MIMO, HE160, 4096 QAM, 8 Spatial-stream Sounding MU-MIMO *Download and upload peak physical rate up to 3.6 Gbps (Note: Need router support) Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.2, Support BLE, SBC, AAC, LDAC. USB USB Type-C, USB 3.1 GEN1, supports DP1.2 *This function should be used with the USB cable (non-standard USB cable, need to be purchased separately) that supports this function. **The inbox USB cable supports USB 2.0. Support USB Type-C earphones |
| Location | GPS (L1 + L5 Dual band)/AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou(B1I + B1C + B2a Tri-band)/GALILEO (E1 + E5a Dual band)/QZSS (L1 + L5 Dual band)/NavIC | GPS (L1 + L5 Dual band)/AGPS/GLONASS/BeiDou(B1I + B1C + B2a Tri-band)/GALILEO (E1 + E5a Dual band)/QZSS (L1 + L5 Dual band)/NavIC |
| Sensors | NFC Gesture Sensor Gravity Sensor Infrared Sensor Fingerprint Sensor (in display) Hall sensor Gyroscope Compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Laser Sensor Color Temperature Sensor | 3D Face Recognition NFC Gesture Sensor Gravity Sensor Infrared Sensor Fingerprint Sensor (in display) Hall sensor Barometric Pressure Sensor Gyroscope Compass Ambient Light Sensor Proximity Sensor Laser Sensor Color Temperature Sensor |
| Audio | Huawei Histen, support stereo sound *.mp3, *.mp4, *.3gp,*.ogg, *.amr, *.aac, *.flac, *.wav, *.midi | Huawei Histen, support stereo sound *.mp3, *.mp4, *.3gp,*.ogg, *.amr, *.aac, *.flac, *.wav, *.midi |
| Video | *.3gp, *.mp4 | *.3gp, *.mp4 |
| Dimensions | 161.5 x 76.1 x 7.98 mm, 206g | 162.1 x 75.5 x 8.5 mm, 202g (Glass)/205g (Vegan Leather) |
| Colors | Black, Silver | Black, Silver, Orange (Vegan Leather) |
| OS | Harmony OS 3.0 | Harmony OS 3.0 |
| Others | IP68 dust and water resistance, no headphone jack | IP68 dust and water resistance, no headphone jack |
All images courtesy of Huawei.
