The new Huawei Mate 20 Series is a bag of surprises in the shape of the Mate 20, the Mate 20 Pro and the Mate 20 X. These phones usher in a new era of mobile phone photography.
With the pricing already released, it’s clear that the greatest one comes in the form of the Mate 20 Pro. And the suffix Pro should be all you need to know about this ultimate mobile photography machine.
Here are some of the key points of why this Mate 20 Pro will be dominating the smartphone camera market for the foreseeable future.
The Camera
The Mate 20 Pro is equipped with three lenses. It has a 40MP f/1.8 + 8MP f/2.4 OIS telephoto + 20MP f/2.2 Ultra-wide lenses that provide with it with an arsenal of photography prowess. The 40MP lens uses a pixel-binning feature to combine image data from 4 pixels, into one super-bright, super-clear pixel. So, what you end up with is the ability to shoot incredible night-shots that look fantastic. Here’s a sample of one such shot. This image was not edited using any software and comes directly from the phone itself.
Pair the 40MP lens with the 8MP telephoto lens, and you will have the ability to shoot bokeh shots with ease. The 8MP lens collects background data and feeds it to the processor to differentiate between the subject and the background. Here’s a sample of a bokeh shot using the Mate 20 Pro.
Finally, the 20MP Ultra-wide lens does double duty. Its primary purpose is to provide a massive 120-degree field of view that expands the shot to incorporate much more into images. To illustrate this better, there is a comparison image, between normal shot and Ultra-wide shot.
This 20MP lens also does macro shots. It can get as close as 2.5cm to a subject. Macro mode is triggered when the AI detects an object within a specified range. We have to see another smartphone able to shoot macro shots like the Mate 20 Pro.
The Screen
And what good would taking great pictures be, if you had a sub-par screen to view or show them off? Which is why Huawei put in a 2K screen to view all the goodness of those photos you just snapped. Running a resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels, at 539 ppi, the screen can only be described in one word – gorgeous. Also, it’s an organic light emitting diode (OLED) panel, which supports always on features like a clock. To prevent burn-in, the clock moves one pixel every minute or so. It’s nearly imperceptible, but it’s there. OLED screens are also renowned for their ability to show deeper blacks, because the LEDs would just switch completely off. This feature also means that power is saved when the screen is mostly dark.
The Battery
A 2K screen means that the phone will be sucking down battery juice a lot faster than a 1080p screen. Double the pixels means double the power to push out those pixels. Huawei managed to put in a 4,200mAh battery, equip it with 40W Super Charge and 15W wireless charging. And, the Mate 20 Pro’s party piece? It can reverse wireless charge another phone equipped with wireless charging. Imagine being at a party and your friend with an iPhone X is running out of battery. Whip out your Mate 20 Pro with 70% battery and you can just put both phones back-to-back and your friend’s iPhone would be topped up, wirelessly. No cables necessary. In our early tests though, it took up to 30% battery from the Mate 20 Pro, just to bring the iPhone up by 10%. Further testing is required.
The Security
One of the features the iPhone X introduced to the world is the ability to unlock your phone with your face. Huawei brings the Android eco-system very nearly to par with Apple’s. The Mate 20 Pro is equipped with 3D Face Unlock utilising an infrared camera and flood illuminator to map a user’s face. As backup, the Mate 20 Pro has another party piece. An under-display fingerprint reader helps secure your phone in the event the facial unlock fails. This is a great design decision by Huawei, as this keeps the bezels of the phone to a minimum.
Summary
The Mate 20 Series is a mobile photographer’s dream. Its camera features are complemented by the large screen and in turn, the screen is supported by the battery size and ability to fast charge and wireless charge. For the modern phone user, this phone presents a step forward in usability and ability to create content. The only hindrance would be its price, which comes in at a steep RM3,699. This is still cheaper than an iPhone so remains within reach of an average consumer. We at LiveatPC.com and PC.com are amazed by what this phone represents and look forward to more great phones from Huawei.
