Huawei Mate 10: The Phone that (Almost) Does It All

I wish I had waited for Huawei Mate 10 before replacing my old smartphone last year. As a travel writer, I need a powerhouse device that allows me to work with my phone smoothly while on the go, captures beautiful images and has a long-lasting battery life – qualities that Huawei Mate 10 seems to have, but under a lot more affordable price tag compared to the similar rivals in the market. Now, isn’t that a steal?

Released late last year, the model is a breakthrough artificial intelligence (AI) contraption that combines innovative hardware, EMUI 8.0, and the world’s first AI processor for smartphones with a dedicated Neural Network Processing Unit (NPU) – Kirin 970 chipset –  for a faster, more customised mobile experience. It doesn’t feel sluggish while in use and thanks to its stunning and large 5.9-inch screen with a 16:9 display, doing tasks such as reading e-mails, scrolling the web and working with Microsoft Office mobile app are much more friendly to the eyes.

Huawei Mate 10

Huawei Mate 10 is built in a 3D Glass Body with symmetrical curve on all four sides for an ergonomic hold. I personally find the black version sleeker; however, it can also become a smudge magnet and needs a wipe down quite regularly since it is glass. The phone is water and dust resistance too. Though it only receives Ingress Protection rating (how resistant it is to solid objects or particles and liquids) of IP57, it still enables users to answer calls in the rain.

The standout feature of the Huawei Mate 10, however, is the Leica dual-lens rear camera that takes incredible images. The camera pairs 12-megapixel Red-Green-Blue (RGB) and 20-megapixel monochrome sensors with large f/1.6 apertures, offering users 2x optical zoom, a good bokeh effect, and black and white photos without the need for filter. The AI-enabled Kirin 970 chip also gives the camera an edge with its new subject recognition ability – it detects the subject that the camera is pointing at and intelligently matches it with the best settings and colours for beautiful sharp results that I can use instantly on both print and digital platforms. Low-light performance is also notably great, and the camera can shoot videos in 4K at 30 frames per second (fps). On top of these, the camera app has a built-in Document Scan mode for the convenience of the users.

There are a lot of other interesting features too, including the smart split-screen mode that makes multitasking on the phone easier, the built-in infrared blaster that allows your device to be a remote control and the reverse charging ability for the phone to function as a powerbank. Besides, Huawei Mate 10 also comes with a dedicated Microsoft translator app that can be used online or offline – all users have to do is take a photo of the text and the app would complete the translation right away.

Huawei Mate 10 is equipped with a 40000mAh battery cell that gives above-average battery life. When I tested the model, the battery lasted more than a day even after performing heavy tasks such as making and receiving calls, checking emails, scrolling Instagram feeds and websites, video streaming, including listening to Spotify. Besides, the Supercharge technology optimises phone usage as the phone is able to recharge 58% in half an hour. Oh, speaking of Spotify, music lovers would also be glad to know that Huawei Mate 10 still comes with a 3.5-millimetre headphone jack when most of its rivals decided to ditch it to save space. Let’s be real, wireless headphones generally have inferior audio quality, so unless you invest on top pricey sets, wired headphones are still the way to go, and they are cheaper too.

Sample image taken with Huawei Mate 10

So, would I say Huawei Mate 10 a smart buy? YES. This is the phone that delivers yet won’t cost your arm and leg. Huawei Mate 10 is available in Black, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown and Pink Gold colours at RM2,699 each. For more information, please visit: http://consumer.huawei.com/en/

About The Author

Shahida Sakeri

Officially a Deputy Editor with over 10 years in travel media. Unofficially? A professional suitcase overpacker with a knack for turning chance encounters and itineraries into vivid, story-driven features. When not fine-tuning articles, she’s likely front row at a concert, taste-testing something spicy, or deep in a conversation that veered wonderfully off-topic.

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