Huawei Mate 10 Pro Unboxing and First Impressions
The Mate 10 is an amazing all-around smartphone designed to compete with the best out there. But, it isn't the best of Huawei yet. That device is the Mate 10 Pro!
Coming from the Huawei Mate 10, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro boasts better specs on paper. It has a slightly bigger and taller 6-inch 18:9 OLED screen, stronger IP67 water and dust resistance, more RAM at 6GB, larger 128GB of internal storage, and 384K/32-bit HiFi DAC for better headphone audio quality.
Moreover, it still has most of the goodies found on the Mate 10. The stylish sandwiched metal and glass design, monstrous Kirin 970 A.I. ready octa-core chipset, 4,000mAh battery w/ 5A Super Charge safe charging tech, 3rd gen dual Leica cameras, 4.5G LTE connectivity, and stereo speakers are still there.
However, it has few things that could be a minor "drawback" for some or most. First, the Mate 10 Pro followed Apple's wrongdoing of not putting a headphone jack slot anymore. Second, the storage of this device is not expandable via microSD card slot anymore.
But, hey its 2018, we'll see more and more phones without the headphone jack slot anymore.
Anyway, its now time to check and see if it is worth the PHP 6K price tag coming from the "regular" Mate 10.
Is still the true "Pro" version of the Mate 10?
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| Meet Mate 10 Pro! |
Coming from the Huawei Mate 10, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro boasts better specs on paper. It has a slightly bigger and taller 6-inch 18:9 OLED screen, stronger IP67 water and dust resistance, more RAM at 6GB, larger 128GB of internal storage, and 384K/32-bit HiFi DAC for better headphone audio quality.
Moreover, it still has most of the goodies found on the Mate 10. The stylish sandwiched metal and glass design, monstrous Kirin 970 A.I. ready octa-core chipset, 4,000mAh battery w/ 5A Super Charge safe charging tech, 3rd gen dual Leica cameras, 4.5G LTE connectivity, and stereo speakers are still there.
However, it has few things that could be a minor "drawback" for some or most. First, the Mate 10 Pro followed Apple's wrongdoing of not putting a headphone jack slot anymore. Second, the storage of this device is not expandable via microSD card slot anymore.
But, hey its 2018, we'll see more and more phones without the headphone jack slot anymore.
Anyway, its now time to check and see if it is worth the PHP 6K price tag coming from the "regular" Mate 10.
Is still the true "Pro" version of the Mate 10?
Huawei Mate 10 Pro Specs
Display: 6-inch FHD+ OLED 2160 x 1080 resolution w/ 2.5D curved glass and Gorilla Glass protection at 402 ppiCPU: 2.36GHz 64 Bit Kirin 970 octa-core processor w/ NPU and i7 co-processor
GPU: Mali-G72 MP12
RAM: 6GB
ROM: 128GB
Back Camera: 20MP f/1.6 monochrome sensor + 12 MP f/1.6 RGB sensor w/ 4-in-1 Hybrid AF, OIS, 2x zoom, and dual tone LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.0 w/ screen flash
Battery: 4,000mAh w/ 5A Super Charge
OS: Android 8.0 Oreo w/ EMUI 8.0
Connectivity: WiFi, 3G, LTE Cat 18, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, OTG, NFC, IR Blaster, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, dual SIM (hybrid)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure
Others: Fingerprint sensor, IP67 water and dust resistance, 384K/32-bit HiFi DAC, USB Type-C, Colors: titanium grey, mocha brown, midnight blue, pink gold
Dimensions: 154.2 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm
Weight: 178 g
Price: PHP 38,990 (PHP 36,990 sale price)
Disclaimer: This Mate 10 Pro unit was borrowed from Huawei Philippines for our honest review.
Unboxing / Accessories
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| Huawei Mate 10 Pro unboxed! |
As expected, the packaging of the Mate 10 Pro is premium. It even has Leica's logo there. Inside, you'll find the TÜV Rheinland safe charge certified 5A Super Charge USB wall charger, USB Type-C Apple-style earbuds w/ microphone for calls, USB Type-C dongle, TPU clear case, SIM ejector tool, and paper documentations.
It has everything we expected inside a high-end smartphone package.
Build Quality / Design
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| Gorgeous build! |
Like the Huawei Mate 10, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro boasts gorgeous sandwiched metal and glass construction. It still has the well machined chamfered edges and sleek curves. The curved glass behind and on the screen is protected against scratches with Corning's Gorilla Glass.
Build is premium, but glass is glass, be very careful not to drop it!
It now has IP67 water and dust resistance now. Mate 10 Pro can withstand water immersion between 15 cm and 1 meter for 30 minutes.
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| IR Blaster and mic below |
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| Speaker, USB Type-C, and mic below |
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| Dual SIM slot |
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| Textured power button and volume rocker at right |
Design-wise, the Mate 10 Pro still looks like the Huawei Mate 10 with beautiful glossy distinct type of signature stripe at the back.
But, since it now has an 18:9 screen aspect ratio, its body is narrower and taller versus Mate 10. In particular, it measures at 154.2 x 74.5 x 7.9 mm. It also has 81.61% screen to body ratio with super slim bezels on the side, top, and bottom.
It looks way sleeker than the iPhone X for almost half the price!
We also liked that the phone is 7.9 mm slim despite the big 4,000mAh battery. This handset is isn't that hefty too at 178 g. Typing with 1 hand is possible, but it would still be best if you'll use both hands.
Huawei also moved the fingerprint scanner in front at the back of the phone just like the previous Mates like Mate 7, Mate 8, and Mate 9.
Camera protrusion is minimal too. We also liked that it still has a stereo speaker setup (one on the earpiece and one below). All buttons and ports are easy to reach too.
Unfortunately, it has no dedicated 3.5 mm headphone jack and microSD card slot anymore.
Initial Findings
1. As expected, craftsmanship is above most flagships today. Coming from 5.9-inch QHD IPS screen, the Mate 10 Pro is equipped with an 6-inch FHD+ OLED screen. Yes, screen resolution is isn't as dense as before, but colors looks better on the Mate 10 Pro. It has some advantages in terms of speed and battery performance too. I don't really see it as a downside unless you are into mobile VR.
2. Specs for the price of PHP 38,990 is monstrous! It's arguably as fast as my iPhone X and faster than the Note 8. It's Kirin 970 chip with NPU, i7 co-processor, and Mali-G72MP12 GPU made this handset so far! In addition, it has 4,000mAh fast charging battery.
3. The Mate 10 Pro loads with Android 8.0 Oreo OS with EMUI 8.0 skin. It's clean, comes with an option app drawer, and feature-rich.
4. Like the Mate 10, the Mate 10 Pro boasts a pair f/1.6 lenses! In particular, it has 20MP f/1.6 monochrome sensor + 12MP f/1.6 RGB sensor w/ 4-in-1 Hybrid AF, OIS, 2x zoom, and dual tone LED flash. Results are as stunning as ever even on point and shoot mode and in lowlight. The A.I. can accurately detect 12 different scenes and adjust the best settings for your shot automatically.
5. It still has has the on-screen keys, LED notification, USB Type-C, OTG, gyroscope sensor, and speedy fingerprint scanner. Again, the headphone jack slot and microSD card slot are gone.
Related: Huawei Mate 10 Pro: First Camera Samples
As of the moment
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro has some solid edges over the regular Mate 10. This is the speedier machine with slightly better battery performance. This handset has the potential to beat or compete with most pricier flagships on specs alone.However, dongle is now life. I personally miss the headphone jack slot so much.
But, we are still very impressed so far!
For our review: Huawei Mate 10 Pro Review - Still one of the BEST
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