Huawei Mate 9: You can’t get more German than this

Huawei‘s latest flagship smartphone — the Mate 9 — is now official. This device packs a punch with the company’s latest processor, dual cameras co-engineered with Leica , new fast-charging technology, a brand new look as well as a limited edition Porsche Design model.

First, let’s talk specs. The standard Huawei Mate 9 features a 5.9-inch Full HD display up front. Inside, it packs the company’s latest Kirin 960 processor mated to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. Huawei says that the Kirin 960 is the “highest performing smartphone processor” in the world so we’re expecting big things from this phone.

What’s more, Huawei also says that the Mate 9 will debut Huawei’s Machine Learning Algorithm to deliver a faster and smoother experience. This algorithm is part of the Kirin 960 processor and is designed to properly optimise performance to ensure that your phone doesn’t slow down even after 18 months of usage.

Besides that, Huawei’s Mate 9 also comes with dual cameras co-engineered with Leica at the back which is similar to what you’d find on the back of the Huawei P9. However, the smartphone maker says that this is a second-generation unit so instead of having two 12MP sensors, the Mate 9 has a single 12MP full-colour RGB sensor accompanied by a second 20MP monochrome sensor. These cameras work similarly to the P9 but, thanks to the higher megapixel count, is supposed to produce more detailed images.

The higher resolution also opens new possibilities up for the Mate 9. Huawei says that the Mate 9 has something called Hybrid Zoom which is basically a form of digital zoom that uses both camera sensors to produce crisp images even at 2x magnification. They compared it to the iPhone 7 Plus and its magnification, highlighting that the Mate 9 has a more consistently good zoom range than Apple’s especially when zooming in low-light — something the iPhone 7 Plus has well-documented problems with.

Further, the new camera also comes with dual-lens camera optical image stabilisation and the industry’s first dual camera pixel binning technology. With this, the Mate 9 has better performance in low light, as well as more stable video even at 4K. To improve accuracy, the new cameras also come with a 4-1 Hybrid AF that utilises laser AF, PDAF, depth focus and contrast focus. In front, you get an 8MP selfie camera.

Next, the Huawei Mate 9 also comes with a 4,000 mAh battery that has support for the company’s brand new SuperCharge quick-charging technology. This new technology utilises a variable 3.5-5V/5A current to charge both quickly and safely.

When it comes to software, the Mate 9 will be running Android 7.0 Nougat with Huawei’s new EMUI 5.0 skin on top. This new skin has been redesigned to better streamline the user’s experience with the OS. This new skin also works in tandem with the new processor to reduce performance erosion by understanding consumer’s behaviour.

Integration with Android 7.0 Nougat means that the new smartphone from Huawei is also Daydream ready.

Everything in the Huawei Mate 9 is encased in a metal unibody that is the result of 50 unique processes includes an hour-long CNC milling process. If this isn’t premium enough for you, Huawei’s Mate 9 has another trick up its sleeve: German design.

Huawei has enlisted the skills of the designers at Porsche Design to come up with the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9. This limited-edition smartphone also comes with a different spec-list. Instead of a 5.9-inch FHD display, the Porsche Design Mate 9 will sport a 5.5-inch curved AMOLED display with a Quad HD resolution. The smartphone will also only be available in Graphite Black.

First, you have Leica, now you get Porsche too. Huawei is really trying to elevate their brand by leveraging German design and engineering.

As far as biometric security is concerned, the Huawei Mate 9 will have a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor while the Porsche Design Mate 9 features a fingerprint sensor that’s tucked under the front home button. This home button also has gesture features that can do various things depending on whether you long-press or swipe while pressing. Kind of like Huawei’s MediaPad tablets.

The new Huawei Mate 9 will be available in Black, Space Gray, Moonlight Silver, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown and Ceramic White colours. The handset will be priced at EUR699 (around RM3,243) while the Porsche Design Mate 9 will set you back a whopping EUR1,395 (around RM6,474).

First-wave markets for the Huawei Mate 9 includes Malaysia, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates.