The Huawei Mate 10 is all set to hit the market late November 2017, and it is already generating a fair amount of buzz. Critics, however, are divided on how the phone is likely to fare in the market. Some say that the phone will be a major hit, while others are of the opinion that will not stand much chance against its rivals, which include the likes of Samsung Galaxy Note 8, Google Pixel 2 XL, and LG V30. Right now, it is difficult to say how customers will view the phone once it is released, but from what we can see right now, the market is pretty divided. In this article, we will take a look at the advantages and drawbacks of the phone, and let you decide for yourself.
Huawei Mate 10 Pros
Let us first begin with the reasons why you should buy the phone.
Beautiful and practical design
First of all, the Mate 10 has a more compact design, which makes it easier to hold in a crowded location and with engaged hands. The display is safe, at 5.9 inches and a 2560 x 1440 resolution and an aspect ratio of 16:9. The camera at the back looks gorgeous with a horizontal stripe running across it, so thumbs up for the extra jazz. The curved sides, glass rear, and bezel-less design also adds to the suave and sophistication of the phone. The best part is certainly the fingerprint scanner; it is located on the front of the screen, which makes it easier to unlock the phone when your other hand is engaged.
Super-intelligent AI
The biggest advantage of the Mate 10 certainly comes in the form of its AI. The phone runs on the usual Android Oreo, but the show stealer is the Kirin 970 that powers the phone. According to Huawei, the Kirin 970 uses their own custom AI, and applies the AI to the world around the user. This means that the phone will change how it functions in accordance to how you use it.
Intelligent cameras
The cameras are unique; it is unlikely that you will find anything like them in any other phone. Thanks to the custom NPU, the front camera recognizes the object in focus and adjusts the picture in accordance to it, while capturing the photo and during post-processing, all in real time. There is an icon in the bottom corner of the screen which indicates the type of scene that is being recognized. The dual cameras in the rear are a product of Huawei’s partnership with Leico, and the Mate 10 stands out with an aperture on both the lenses. You can look forward to some amazing photo shoots.
Big memory
The phone comes with a 4 GB RAM and 64 GB expandable storage, with a slot for a microSD card. The 4 GB RAM, coupled with the Android Oreo, is good enough to make switching between apps and having multiple apps running in the background a smooth experience, but the expandable memory will help you out should you want to make the experience even smoother.
Thumbs down
All looks good the Huawei Mate 10 for now, and the only drawbacks are really apparent when we compare the phone to the previous models.
Not much different
First of all, no major upgrades can be seen in the phone. The Huawei Mate 10 uses its own overlay, Emotion UI 8, to launch the Android Oreo OS. It is true that the previous version was called Emotion 5.1, but that does not really signal a great jump software-wise; it is more of a marketing gimmick then anything else: an attempt to keep in sync with the Android 8 version.
Less durable
Another major drawback is that the phone is not waterproof. While this does bode ill for the phone if yo plan to carry it outside in rain season, it is particularly a bad decision since Huawei’s own Mate 10 Pro, which is scheduled to come out at more or less the same time, is quite a lot more waterproof; it can stand a dunk in water for a little over 10 minutes and come out none the worse for wear. The lack of this feature certainly makes the Mate 10 a lot less durable.
Also read: Nokia 6 pros and cons
It is way too early to say for sure how the Huawei Mate 10 will actually fare in the real world. The demo and the information provided by Huawei so far do not really give much of an insight into the workings of the principal attraction- the Kirin 970powered AI experience. It is difficult to understand, at this point, how the AI will translate to day-to-day usage, but if the promises hold up, it may well revolutionize the way we view and use Android devices.
Paul Lynne, Editor at ReviewMyThing, brings journalistic expertise to product reviews, offering concise insights across various categories. Passionate about empowering consumers, Paul’s analyses help readers make informed choices. Beyond work, he enjoys travel and gourmet coffee.