Despite the ongoing trade bans, Huawei had went against all odds with the launch of the next-generation’s Mate 40 flagship series smartphones which once again showcase the company’s leadership in smartphone technologies.
Much like the current Huawei P40 flagship series, the all-new Mate 40 series lineup consists of three different models including the vanilla Huawei Mate 40, Mate 40 Pro, as well as the ultra high-end Mate 40 Pro+.
Huawei Mate 40 Pro & Mate 40 Pro+
The Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro+ are probably among the most exciting flagship models we have this year. Both devices share pretty much the same design and specs, except for the difference in their rear camera system.
At the front, they feature a large 6.76-inches OLED display that comes with an immersive 1,344 x 2,772 pixels screen resolution. They maintain the same 90Hz buttery-smooth refresh rate similar to the P40 Pro and P40 Pro+, but will bump up the touch sampling rate to 240Hz.
On the upper-left corner, there will be a pill-shape cutout which houses a pair of 13 megapixels primary shooter paired with a 3D ToF sensors. Along the edges of the front display, it boast an impressive 88-degrees curvature that gives the device an elegant outlook from the side.
To prevent accidental touch issues that accompany curved display, there will be specialize software onboard to eliminate such occurrence in order to bring users a “precise, uncompromised experience”.
Flipping the device over, we will be greeted by a new Space Ring design for its rear camera housing that looks slightly different from the Halo Ring design we saw on last year’s Mate 30 series.
For the Mate 40 Pro+, there will be a total of five cameras at the back, headlined by a 50 megapixels (f/1.9 aperture) Super Sensing Wide sensor with OIS stabilization, as well as a 20 megapixels (f/2.4 aperture) ultra-wide cine camera that features a free form lens to minimize distortions.
As for the other three cameras, they include an 8 megapixels (f/4.4 aperture) periscope camera with 10x optical zoom, 12 megapixels (f/2.4 aperture) telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, as well as ToF camera for depth sensing. According to Huawei, the pair of periscope and telephoto cameras can work in tandem to deliver up to 17x optical zoom – highest among all smartphones in the market.
Coming to the Mate 40 Pro, it will be coming with a triple camera system instead of the penta camera setup seen on the Mate 40 Pro+. The only difference between them lies in the omission of the 8 megapixels periscope camera with 10x optical zoom and 3D ToF sensor for the Mate 40 Pro. Other than that, the rest of the cameras are the same as the Mate 40 Pro+.
For videography, Huawei said that the Mate 40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro+ will support a dedicated XD Fusion HDR mode which “renders each frame with faithfully optimised detail, colour, contrast and brightness, via custom multi-exposure imaging.”.
At the helm, the Mate 40 series smartphones will be powered by the latest Kirin 9000 chipset manufactured under a 5nm process. Featuring more than 15.3 billion transistors, the Kirin 9000 chipset is able to achieve a peak frequency of up to 3.13 GHz which is relatively higher than the current Snapdragon 865+ SoC. In fact, the Kirin 9000 chipset is also the first in the world to arrive with a 24-core Mali-G78 GPU.
On the audio side, they also sport a powerful dual stereo speakers capable of producing significant bass. On top of that, its 3D audio will also be further combined simulated vibrations from the linear motor to provide a highly immersive entertainment experience for its users.
To keep the device running, the Mate 40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro+ are equipped with a respectable 4,400mAh battery which supports an upgraded 66W Huawei SuperCharge fast-charging solution. Taking things further, the pair also support an incredible fast 55W wireless charging as well.
In the European markets, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro will be priced at 1,199 Euro (S$1,920) for its 8GB+256GB model. The Mate 40 Pro+ on the other hand, is set at 1,399 Euros (S$2,245) for its sole 12GB+256GB variant.
At current stage, there’s still no words on their official pricing in Singapore. However, it has been confirmed that the Mate 40 Pro will be heading to the local market in both Black and Mystic Silver color options.
Huawei Mate 40
Moving on, there’s also the vanilla Mate 40 smartphone which is the most affordable model among the trio.
Unlike the Mate 40 Pro duo, the vanilla Mate 40 comes with a slightly scaled-down OLED display with 2376 x 1080 pixels screen resolution. However, it will continue to support a smooth 90Hz refresh rate and a responsive 240Hz touch sampling rate.
In the camera department, there will be a total of three cameras at the back including the same 50 megapixels (f/1.9 aperture) Super Sensing Wide sensor, a toned-down 16 megapixels (f/2.2 aperture) ultra-wide lens, and finally an 8 megapixels telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
Under the hood, the Huawei Mate 40 is driven the same Kirin 9000 chipset for optimal performance. Battery-wise, it has a slightly smaller 4,000mAh battery that supports up to 40W fast-charging. It will be priced at 899 Euro (S$1,440) for its sole 8GB+128GB model.
