Huawei Mate 50E review
The Huawei Mate 50E has finally arrived, two years after its predecessor's unveiling. This flagship smartphone boasts a stunning 6.7-inch OLED display, exceptional camera capabilities, and a powerful processor. The Mate 50E features a quad-camera setup with a 50MP super Optical variable shooter, a high-capacity 4460mAh battery, and fast charging capabilities. With Harmony OS 3.0 on board, this device promises to deliver an immersive user experience. But does it live up to its promise?
Build Quality and Design
The Huawei Mate 50E is a flagship smartphone that boasts an impressive design and build quality. The device features a classic appearance with a 6.7-inch OLED flat panel, offering full HD+ resolution (2700 x 1224 pixels). The display is equipped with a high frequency PWM dimming, a 90Hz refresh rate, and supports 1.07 billion colors, making it an excellent choice for those who value visual quality. The Mate 50E's design is characterized by its symmetrical appearance, which is a trait that has been favored by consumers in the Huawei Mate series. The device features a centered front-facing camera, a large 50MP super optical variable shooter, and a 13MP ultra-wide lens on the back. The frost silver color scheme of the model I tested is not only visually appealing but also fingerprint-resistant. The build quality of the Mate 50E is equally impressive. The device is made from high-quality materials that give it a premium feel in the hand. The phone's weight and balance are well-distributed, making it comfortable to hold and use for extended periods. In terms of design highlights, the Mate 50E features an exclusive ring appearance on the back, which adds to its aesthetic appeal. The device's overall symmetrical design makes it a joy to behold, and its frost silver color scheme is particularly pleasing to the eye. Overall, the Huawei Mate 50E's build quality and design are top-notch, making it a worthy flagship smartphone in its class.
Battery Life
The Huawei Mate 50E boasts an impressive 4460mAh high-capacity battery, which promises to deliver all-day power and then some. As a mid-range model in the series, I was curious to see how well it would perform in real-world usage. In my experience, the Mate 50E's battery life has been more than satisfactory. With moderate use - including social media scrolling, gaming, and video streaming - I've easily gotten through a full day without needing to recharge. In fact, on several occasions, I've managed to squeeze out an extra hour or two of usage before needing to top up. What's more, the phone's power efficiency is commendable. Despite its feature-rich specs, the Mate 50E doesn't feel like it's burning through battery life unnecessarily. Even with heavy use - such as gaming and video editing - I've been able to get around 8-10 hours of usage before needing a recharge. The inclusion of 60W high-speed charging is also a welcome feature, allowing you to quickly top up the battery when needed. Overall, I'm impressed with the Mate 50E's battery life, which makes it an attractive option for those seeking a reliable and long-lasting smartphone without breaking the bank.
Display
The Huawei Mate 50E boasts an impressive 6.7-inch OLED flat panel display with a Full HD+ resolution of 2700 x 1224 pixels. This stunning screen offers a high frequency PWM dimming, a 90Hz refresh rate, and a whopping 1.07 billion colors, making it a visual treat for users. The P3 broad color gamut ensures that colors are vivid and accurate, while the 300Hz touch sampling rate provides a seamless and responsive user experience. One of the standout features of the Mate 50E's display is its Ultra-wide camera, with a 13-megapixel sensor capable of capturing detailed and expansive images. The screen itself is surrounded by a sleek and symmetrical design, featuring a centered and forward-looking opening at the front and an eye-catching ring appearance at the back. The frost silver color scheme on my review unit adds a touch of elegance to the overall aesthetic, with soft light reflections creating a relaxed and comfortable visual experience. Furthermore, the Mate 50E's display is resistant to fingerprints, making it a joy to hold and use. In terms of display capabilities, the Huawei Mate 50E delivers an exceptional viewing experience, whether you're watching videos, browsing through photos or enjoying games on the go. The combination of its impressive color accuracy, high refresh rate, and responsive touch sampling rate makes it an ideal choice for users who crave a premium visual experience. Overall, the display on the Huawei Mate 50E is one of its strongest features, offering a rich and immersive viewing experience that's hard to match in this price range. If you're looking for a device with a stunning screen, look no further than the Mate 50E.
Camera
The Huawei Mate 50E boasts an impressive camera system that is sure to impress even the most discerning photographer. The phone features a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 50-megapixel super optical zoom shooter, and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens on the back. On the front, there's a 13-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera. The Mate 50E's camera system is truly impressive, with the ability to capture stunning images in various lighting conditions. The phone's 50-megapixel super optical zoom shooter is particularly noteworthy, allowing users to get up close and personal with their subjects without losing any detail. The image quality is crisp and clear, with excellent color reproduction. One of the standout features of the Mate 50E's camera system is its ability to create a natural-looking depth of field effect. This is achieved through the phone's physical aperture adjustment in professional mode, which allows for more nuanced control over the camera settings. The result is a more realistic and immersive image that feels closer to real life. In terms of performance, the Mate 50E's camera system is fast and responsive, with quick focusing and minimal lag. The camera app itself is intuitive and easy to use, making it simple for even novice photographers to get great results. The Xmag imaging system on the Mate 50E also deserves a mention, as it allows users to capture professional-grade images with ease. The phone's ability to create stunning portraits and landscapes is unmatched, making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to take their mobile photography to the next level. Overall, the camera system on the Huawei Mate 50E is truly exceptional, offering a feature set that is hard to match in its price range. Whether you're a seasoned photographer or just starting out, this phone's camera capabilities are sure to impress and delight.
Price and Value
The Huawei Mate 50E is the most affordable model in the Mate 50 series, offering impressive flagship features at an attractive price point. Priced around $550, the Mate 50E delivers a 6.7-inch OLED display with a high refresh rate, a quad-camera setup, and a large 4460mAh battery. The device is powered by a capable Snapdragon 778G processor, making it suitable for gaming and everyday use. In terms of value, the Mate 50E offers an impressive package considering its price. The phone's design, with its frost silver color scheme and symmetrical appearance, exudes a premium feel. The quad-camera setup, featuring a 13-megapixel ultra-wide camera, a 50-megapixel super optical variable shooter, and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens, is capable of capturing high-quality images. The Mate 50E also comes with the latest Harmony OS 3.0 interface, which provides a seamless user experience and advanced features such as hyperspace storage compression, making it an excellent choice for those looking to upgrade their smartphone without breaking the bank. While the Mate 50E may not be the most powerful or feature-rich device in its class, it offers a compelling balance of performance, camera capabilities, and value. For users seeking a reliable and capable flagship smartphone at an affordable price, the Huawei Mate 50E is definitely worth considering.
Performance
The Huawei Mate 50E is the most affordable member of the Mate series, but don't let its price fool you. It's still a powerhouse device that delivers impressive performance. Under the hood, the Mate 50E boasts a SnapperGen Plus Gen1 mobile platform, which provides fast and efficient processing. While it may not be as powerful as some other flagships, it's more than enough for most users. The phone's ability to handle demanding tasks like gaming and multitasking is impressive, and the lack of overheating issues makes it a reliable choice. One area where the Mate 50E truly shines is in its camera performance. With a quad-camera setup featuring a 50MP super optical variable shooter, an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a front-facing 13MP Ultra-wide camera, this device can take stunning photos and videos. The Xmag Imaging system is particularly impressive, offering 10-stop adjustable physical aperture and excellent depth of field blurring performance. In terms of charging speed, the Mate 50E supports 60W high-speed charging, which quickly replenishes its large 4460mAh battery. While it may not be as fast as some other flagships, this phone's battery life is still impressive, especially considering its price point. Overall, the Huawei Mate 50E offers solid performance for a mid-range device. Its powerful processor, excellent camera system, and fast charging capabilities make it a great choice for anyone looking for an affordable smartphone that won't compromise on features.
Pros
1. The Huawei Mate 50 has a classic appearance with a 6.7-inch OLED flat panel within full HD+ resolution, featuring 1440Hz high frequency PWM dimming and a 90Hz refresh rate.
2. It has a front-facing 13 megapixels Ultra wide camera, a sizeable 50 megapixel super Optical variable shooter, and a backside 13 megapixels Ultra wide lens.
3. The device comes with a built-in 4460mAh power battery, a snappergen 778g4G processor, and a 60W high charging speed.
4. It supports the most recent Harmony OS 3.0 interface, providing a fully immersive user experience.
5. The Huawei Mate 50 Series maintains the same appearance across all models, including the standard version and pro version, with a centered and forward-looking opening on the front.
6. The device's appearance is sleek and premium, with a frost silver color scheme that reflects light without fingerprints.
7. It has excellent image performance, with a super Optical xmag Imaging system that allows for 10-stop adjustable physical aperture in professional mode.
8. The Harmony OS 3.0 operating system provides effective memory compression and improved privacy and security protection features.
Cons
1. The Huawei Mate 50 may have garnered less attention than other prominent models, which could affect its sales and reputation.
2. The device's processor is not the most powerful, with some users preferring the Snappergen plus gen1 mobile platform found in other models.
3. The camera system, while excellent, does not provide any significant upgrades over previous models.
4. The Huawei Mate 50E has a lower IP rating (IP53) compared to other models, which may affect its water and dust resistance.
5. It lacks some features present in the pro version, such as NFC, infrared remote control, and dual speakers.
6. The device's price is close to $550, which may be considered too high by some users.
7. Some users may find the lack of certain features, like IP68 rating and ob2 satellite information, to be a drawback.
8. Overall, the Huawei Mate 50E feels more like an accessible member of the series rather than a flagship device in its own right.