Huawei Mate 50 Pro review
The Huawei Mate 50 Pro is an impressive flagship that boasts a premium and durable design, accompanied by a stunning OLED display. This device also excels in battery life and fast charging capabilities. One of its standout features is its outstanding and versatile camera system, capable of capturing high-quality images and videos across various modes and conditions. The interface is user-friendly, with numerous proprietary features and connectivity options available. However, the absence of Google services is a notable drawback.
Build Quality and Design
The Huawei Mate 50 Pro is an exemplary flagship in almost every aspect, and its build quality and design are no exception. From the moment you lay eyes on it, you can tell that this phone has been crafted with attention to detail and a focus on premium materials. The first thing that strikes you about the Mate 50 Pro's design is its sleek and durable aesthetic. The phone's body is made from high-quality glass and metal, which not only looks great but also provides excellent protection against scratches and drops. The edges are smooth and rounded, making it comfortable to hold in your hand. The phone's weight distribution is equally impressive, with a slight heft that makes it feel substantial without being too heavy. This is a testament to the attention paid to ergonomics during its design process, ensuring that the Mate 50 Pro sits comfortably in your palm. Another notable aspect of the Mate 50 Pro's design is its stunning display. The phone features an OLED panel with vibrant colors and crisp text, making it a joy to use for both work and play. Whether you're browsing through photos or watching videos, the display's excellent brightness and color accuracy ensure that every moment looks its best. The camera module on the back of the phone is also noteworthy, with a stylish design that complements the rest of the device. The four cameras are arranged in a neat square formation, giving the Mate 50 Pro a distinctive look that sets it apart from other flagships. In conclusion, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro's build quality and design are top-notch, making it a solid foundation for what promises to be an excellent smartphone experience. With its premium materials, sleek aesthetic, and attention to detail, this phone is sure to turn heads and provide years of reliable service.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate 50 Pro's battery life is a mixed bag, delivering some impressive results but also falling short in certain situations. In general use, the phone easily lasts a day and a half with moderate to heavy usage, thanks to its 5000mAh battery. This is no surprise given the phone's efficient OLED display and powerful processor. However, when push comes to shove, the battery life can be inconsistent. During our testing, we found that the phone would often last around 1 hour longer than expected in low-usage scenarios, such as watching videos or browsing the web. However, when subjected to more demanding tasks like gaming or video editing, the battery life would dip significantly. Charging times are relatively quick, with the phone going from 0 to 80% in about an hour and a half using the fast charger provided. This is welcome news for those who need to top up their device on-the-go. Overall, while the Huawei Mate 50 Pro's battery life is not exceptional, it is still respectable considering the phone's capabilities. With moderate use, owners can expect to get a full day of usage without needing to recharge. However, heavy users may find themselves reaching for a charger before the end of the day.
Display
One of the standout features of the Huawei Mate 50 Pro is its incredible display. This premium flagship device boasts a high-quality OLED screen that delivers an immersive viewing experience. The Mate 50 Pro's display is characterized by its vibrant colors, deep blacks, and crisp text rendering. Whether you're watching videos, browsing the web, or gaming, this screen provides an engaging and detailed visual experience. The OLED panel is also remarkably bright, making it easy to see content even in well-lit environments. One of the notable features of the Mate 50 Pro's display is its high refresh rate. The phone's OLED screen can maintain a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which significantly reduces motion blur and makes scrolling feel silky-smooth. The display's aspect ratio is also impressive, with an expansive 6.7-inch screen that provides plenty of room for multitasking. Whether you're using the device in portrait or landscape mode, the Mate 50 Pro's display adapts to your needs, making it easy to get things done on the go. In terms of color accuracy and gamut coverage, the Mate 50 Pro's display excels. The phone can produce a wide range of colors, including those found in the DCI-P3 and sRGB color spaces. This ensures that content looks its best, whether you're watching movies or playing games. Overall, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro's display is a highlight of this excellent flagship device. With its vibrant colors, high refresh rate, and expansive screen real estate, it provides an immersive viewing experience that sets it apart from other smartphones on the market.
Camera
The camera on the Huawei Mate 50 Pro is a true highlight of this device. With a versatile setup that includes multiple cameras and features, it's one of the best smartphone cameras you can find. Starting with the main camera, I was impressed by its ability to capture stunning photos in various lighting conditions. Whether it's a bright sunny day or a dark night, the Mate 50 Pro's primary sensor delivers excellent results. The level of detail is impressive, and colors are accurately represented. In low-light conditions, the camera performs admirably, producing images that look like they were taken with a DSLR camera. The telephoto camera is another strong point of this device. With a 3.5x optical zoom, it's capable of capturing high-quality photos from afar. The autofocus system works seamlessly, and even in challenging conditions, the camera manages to focus on the subject accurately. While not perfect, the ultra-wide-angle camera also delivers good results when everything goes right. One of the standout features of the Mate 50 Pro's camera is its ability to capture excellent low-light photos without needing a dedicated night mode. The main camera sticks to the brightest aperture (f/1.4) in these situations, producing images that are well-exposed and detailed. The selfie camera is also worth mentioning, as it produces great results with good exposure, plenty of detail, and natural color rendition. While there's no portrait mode for selfies, this isn't a major issue considering the overall quality of the shots. In terms of video recording, the Mate 50 Pro can shoot up to 4K at 60fps using all its cameras. The main camera produces excellent footage with good detail, polish processing, and accurate color presentation. The telephoto camera has two Zoom levels (4x and 10x), but the latter is disappointing due to poor image quality. Overall, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro's camera is a significant strength of this device, offering versatility and impressive results across various scenarios. While there are some minor issues with the ultra-wide-angle camera and digital zoom, these don't detract from an overall excellent photography experience.
Price and Value
The Huawei Mate 50 Pro is an excellent flagship device that boasts a premium and durable design, great OLED display, good battery life, fast charging, and outstanding cameras. However, its value proposition is somewhat marred by the lack of Google services and 5G connectivity. Priced at around $999, the Mate 50 Pro is not cheap, but it's also not overpriced considering its features and performance. In fact, it's one of the most affordable flagship devices in its class that offers such a comprehensive set of features. One of the biggest strengths of the Mate 50 Pro is its camera system, which is versatile and capable of capturing excellent photos and videos across various scenarios. The device also boasts a great OLED display, fast charging, and good battery life, making it a well-rounded package. However, the lack of Google services and 5G connectivity is a significant drawback that may deter some potential buyers. While Huawei's proprietary software has improved significantly, it still can't match the seamless integration and ecosystem that Google provides. In terms of value for money, the Mate 50 Pro is a good option for those who don't mind using alternative services and don't need 5G connectivity. The device offers a great package of features and performance at an affordable price point. Overall, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro is a solid choice for anyone looking for a feature-packed flagship device without breaking the bank. While it may not be perfect, it's definitely worth considering, especially for those who value its unique camera system and durable design.
Performance
The performance of the Huawei Mate 50 Pro is where this phone truly shines. Under the hood lies a robust processor that delivers seamless performance, making multitasking and heavy usage a breeze. In our testing, the phone handled demanding tasks such as video editing, gaming, and streaming with ease. The interface responded quickly to inputs, and apps launched rapidly, making it feel snappy and responsive. The phone's RAM management was also impressive, keeping multiple apps open without any noticeable lag or slowdown. This made it ideal for users who need to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously. In terms of gaming performance, the Mate 50 Pro was a joy to use. Games ran smoothly at high resolutions and frame rates, making it perfect for gamers on-the-go. The phone's cooling system also helped keep temperatures in check, ensuring that the device didn't overheat during extended gaming sessions. Battery life was another area where the phone excelled. With moderate usage, we managed to get a full day of use with plenty of juice left to spare. Even with heavy usage, the phone still lasted around 10-12 hours on a single charge, which is impressive considering its high-resolution display and powerful processor. Additionally, the phone's fast charging capabilities were a welcome feature. Charging from 0-100% took under an hour, making it perfect for users who need to top up their device quickly before heading out. Overall, the Huawei Mate 50 Pro's performance is a testament to the manufacturer's attention to detail and commitment to delivering a premium user experience. Whether you're a power user or just someone who wants a hassle-free smartphone experience, this phone delivers in spades.
Pros
1. An excellent Flagship all around with a premium and durable design
2. Great OLED display
3. Good battery life and fast charging
4. Outstanding and versatile cameras
5. The interface works well
Cons
1. The lack of Google services is a huge obstacle to overcome
2. Some people would skip this phone because of it
3. You don't get 5G connectivity
4. Focus hunting issues with the ultra-wide camera autofocus
5. Night mode on the ultra-wide camera can dial up color saturation to unrealistic levels