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Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
...


9/10
Informr score
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro currently has an Informr score of 9 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 77 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The "1-Minute" Review

Verdict

The Mate 20 Pro might not be Huawei’s cheapest phone but it’s one of the best. It provides an attractive package in terms of design, features, performance and camera capabilities.

What's good

  • Beautiful design
  • Bright, vibrant display
  • Smooth performance
  • Great battery life
  • Good camera
  • Fast charging

What's bad

  • Auto mode on camera leads to hit-or-miss pictures
  • Heavy at 189 grams

While you might know Huawei for their mid-range handsets, they’ve invested a significant amount into their flagship phone -- the Mate 20 Pro -- as well. Despite costing more than the reputable Samsung Galaxy Note 9 , many consider Huawei's latest release one of the best smartphones of 2018.

The Mate 20 Pro takes a few of its design cues from Samsung with its symmetrical tapered edges and slightly curved screen. 

The back, however, provides a unique design thanks to Huawei’s “Simply Iconic” camera module. Some reviewers thought it resembled the headlights of luxury cars while others call it a “stovetop.” Love it or hate it, it will turn heads.

Huawei offers two different texture options for the back -- standard glass and a “vinyl” option. Although it doesn’t feel exactly like actual vinyl records, the textured back provided a satisfying grip and warded off fingerprints and smudges. It's also easy to hold in one hand thanks to its narrow size and rounded edges.

The display takes up pretty much the entire front of the phone. The 6.39-inch OLED display offers a QHD+ resolution of 1,440-by-3,120 pixels, making it sharper than the Google Pixel 3 XL and Samsung Galaxy Note 9 . As you’d expect, images are crisp and the OLED panel provides nice deep blacks.

Colors are vibrant and cover a wide spectrum though some reviewers found accuracy lacking. And while it’s not as bright as the iPhone XS , it’s still easy enough to read in direct sunlight.

While other smartphones jump on the Snapdragon bandwagon, Huawei has stuck with their own processor -- the octa-core Kirin 980. 

This AI-powered processor combined with 6 or 8GB of RAM makes for buttery smooth performance during general use. Gaming performance is speedy as well. A few reviewers noticed a slight delay when switching apps, otherwise performance is stellar.

And if you’re worried about battery performance, don’t be. The 4,200mAh battery lasted most reviewers around 2 to 2.5 days of moderate usage and a full day of heavy use. If you somehow find yourself low on battery, the quick charger hits 70% from an empty charge in only 30 minutes.

The Mate 20 Pro can also charge a Qi-enabled device by turning on the feature and setting the device on the back of the phone. It’s slow, but it’s a feature you won't find elsewhere.

The camera system on the Mate 20 Pro was the only feature to see mixed reviews. There are three rear lenses: a 40MP primary lens, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a 20MP ultra-wide lens. While the combination lets you take a variety of pictures from macro to long-distance, critics point out that you’ll get the best use when in manual mode. 

In auto mode, their pictures were hit or miss with the camera often over-exposing bright areas and under-exposing in low-light situations. 

Still, most were thrilled with the overall results, especially when taking macro pictures with the ultra-wide lens. Even low-light images were detailed with little grain.

Despite its high price tag, experts highly recommend the Huawei Mate 20 Pro. Trusted Reviews states, “The Mate 20 Pro is full of great features and offers up an excellent alternative to any other flagship phone on the market right now.” Android Authority adds, “The Mate 20 Pro is a powerful, feature-packed, exciting phone… the Huawei Mate 20 Pro is probably the best phone you can get today.”


Android
Operating system
Operating system
Android
2.6 GHz
Processor
Processor
2.6 GHz
6.39"
Screen Size
Screen Size
6.39"
40+ MP, f/1.8
Camera
Camera
40+ MP, f/1.8
4200 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


TechRadar
TechRadar

Huawei has the best from Apple and Samsung in its sights with its powerful, full-featured flagship – and it's worth the cost, if you can stomach a four-figure pricetag.

- David Lumb, TechRadar
Gadgets 360
Gadgets 360

If we could change a few things, we would have kept a physical fingerprint sensor, as the in-display one isn't always consistent. Other than this, it's really hard to find fault with the Mate 20 Pro. It has excellent battery life, good software, solid app and gaming performance, and an impressive se...

- Roydon Cerejo, Gadgets 360
TrustedReviews
TrustedReviews

It has a fantastic camera, superb screen, competition-beating battery life and plenty of additional tricks alongside. If it wasn’t for Huawei’s slightly janky software and some mild complaints about the curvature of the display, this would be the most complete Android phone I’ve ever reviewed.

- Max Parker, TrustedReviews
DxOMark
DxOMark

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is a super-phone in every sense, and that is especially true when looking at its camera. The triple-lens setup is capable of producing excellent photo and video results across all shooting situations and deservedly shares the top position in the DxOMark Mobile ranking with its...

- Lars Rehm, DxOMark
Smartprix
Smartprix

Huawei has hardly cut any corners. It packs one of the best smartphone cameras in the market, an excellent OLED screen, impeccable build quality, spellbinding design, and the best Kirin chipset till date. In fact, it has numerous novel features and stuff groundbreaking flagships are made of.

- Deepak Rajawat, Smartprix


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro user manual here.


Huawei backs up the Mate 20 Pro with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Mate 20 Pro has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Huawei support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Huawei's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.



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Quick view

Screen Size
6.39"

The Huawei Mate 20 Pro's screen size is 6.39 inches with 1440 x 3120 pixels resolution.

Processor
2.6 GHz

There is a HiSilicon Kirin 980 Octa core 2.6 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Android 9.0 Pie operating system (OS).

Camera
40+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 40+ MP, f/1.8 camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 24+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
128/256 GB

Internal memory is 128/256 GB. An external, nanoSD (up to 256 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
4200mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol), 4200 mAh battery. Huawei's performance ratings are 1723 minutes, 837 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Mate 20 Pro Specs

Overview
Release Date October 26, 2018
Regions Available Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Android 9.0 Pie

Compare Android Smartphones

Processor HiSilicon Kirin 980 Octa core 2.6 GHz
Internal Storage 128/256 GB
RAM 6/8 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD No
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.58 W/kg
Body: 0.81 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included USB Power Adapter, Manual, Headphones, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Yes
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Yes
SIM card size
Nano-SIM
Dual SIM Yes
Connectivity
USB USB Type-C
USB OTG Support Yes
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared Yes
Bluetooth 5.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HID, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC, aptX, aptX HD, LDAC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info nanoSD (up to 256 GB)
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
40+ Megapixels, f/1.8
Zoom
Yes
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Brightness control, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, ISO, Multi-shot, Panorama, Self-timer, White balance, Second camera(20 MP, Ultra Wide Angle Lens, f/2.2), Third camera(8 MP, Telephoto, f/2.4 )
Video Recording Formats
MPEG-4
Video Recording Parameters
Ultra HD (3840 x 2160 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
24+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
Aperture f/2.0
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology OLED
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 1440 x 3120 pixels
Pixel Density 538 pixels
Size 6.39 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touchscreen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium Polymer (Li-Pol)
Battery Capacity 4200 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging Yes
Fast Charging Yes
Video Playback Time Up to 922 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 837 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Up to 609 minutes
Talk Time Up to 1723 minutes
Standby Time Up to 21 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Glass
Colors Black, Emerald Green, Twilight, Red, Comet Blue
Dimensions [H x W x D] 15.78 x 7.23 x 0.86 cm (6.2 x 2.8 x 0.3 in)
Weight 189 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Water Resistant
Rugged design No
IP Rating IP 68
Headset Jack No
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key Yes
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor Yes
More
Additional Information Other Names (AKA):
Related Links Quick Start Guide (PDF)
Manual (PDF)
Huawei Mate 20 Pro Reviews
Where to buy Huawei Mate 20 Pro
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