Huawei Mate 10 Pro Smartphone Review
For the original German review, see here.
Whereas last year, the Pro version of the Huawei Mate 9 did not make it to Europe at all, this year's model is more than just a storage update with a new panel technology. In the Mate 10 Pro (BLA-L29), for the first time Huawei is using a display in the 2:1 format, which is also sometimes called 18:9. However, the resolution is only in the Full HD range with 2160x1080 pixels. At 6.0 inches, the display is slightly larger. The case of the Phablet is no longer made entirely from aluminum, but now has a glass back.
There is also the new HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC, which is equipped with a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) particularly designed for the acceleration of KIs. The storage is now 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. That sounds like a lot, but now you have to make do without storage expansion via a microSD card. The headphone jack has also been removed, and the audio now uses the USB port. The smartphone connects to the Internet via LTE Cat. 18 or an ac WLAN module, which is not equipped with MIMO antenna technology, though.
The Leica dual-camera on the back has also been improved considerably and now offers an aperture of f/1.6 on both lenses. Huawei continues to use a combination of color and black-and-white sensors. The 4000 mAh battery is supposed to provide good endurance.
As well as the Pro version, there are also the Mate 10 Lite and the Mate 10. The Mate 10 Lite is a slimmed down version and offers a 5.9-inch IPS display with generally weaker equipment, including a smaller battery (3340 mAh). At 399 Euros (recommended price, ~$463) it costs much less. The Mate 10 is really the successor of the model we tested last year. It has a 5.9-inch IPS display with QHD+ resolution in the 16:9 format, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of internal storage, a microSD slot, an audio port, and otherwise the same features as the Pro model. At 699 Euros (~$811) it costs 100 Euros (~$116) less than its bigger sibling.
In our test, we compare the Huawei Mate 10 Pro to the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, the Apple iPhone 8 Plus, the OnePlus 5, the HTC U11, the Honor 8 Pro, the LG V30, and the Sony Xperia XZ Premium. We have also added larger Phablets to our comparison, such as the HTC U Ultra and the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, which have weaker equipment.
Update 08/28/2018: Huawei has published an update. Details can be found in the Software section of this review.
Case
The case of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro consists of an aluminum frame, with the front and back made from Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The Phablet is offered in the colors dark gray (Titanium Grey), brown (Mocha Brown), blue (Midnight Blue), and pink (Pink Gold). In Germany the pink model is not available, and Mocha Brown is offered exclusively by Vodafone.
With its 7.9 mm (~0.31 in) thickness, the smartphone is slightly slimmer than the larger Galaxy Note 8, but thicker than the V30. We measured a thickness of 8.05 mm (~0.32 in), so probably the value specified by Huawei is an average value. The two camera lenses stick out of the case by 0.55 mm (~0.02 in). The workmanship appears very high-quality. The gaps are very narrow and even everywhere. The Mate 10 Pro does not react to any attempts of twisting it. The SIM slot is flush with the case. In our brown model, it does not have the same color tone, but is visually not too different from the color of the frame. The card tray is also made from aluminum and has the same color as the frame. It offers space for two Nano-SIM cards. There is no expansion option via microSD.
For the first time, a Huawei smartphone is also IP certified. With IP67, the Mate 10 Pro is certified to be dust proof and can withstand at least half an hour of being submersed in a maximum of 1.5 meters (~5 ft) of fresh water. The battery is still built-in and cannot be removed by the user. The bezels have shrunken a lot, so that the display-to-surface ratio has improved to a very good 81.6%. Huawei does not let anything go wrong with its new flagship and delivers a high-quality product in pleasing colors.
Connectivity
Compared to its predecessor, the USB connection of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro has had a significant upgrade and now supports the 3.1 standard (Gen. 1) and wired display output. However, an optional cable from USB Type-C to DisplayPort 1.2 or HDMI is necessary. When the Phablet is connected to an external display, Android desktop mode will be executed, similar to what is also possible with Samsung DeX, but without needing an additional docking station.
The images can be wirelessly transferred via Miracast, and Wi-Fi Direct is on board. There are also NFC and Bluetooth 4.2. Unfortunately, Huawei does not use the current Bluetooth 5.0, but instead the integrated module is aptX or aptX HD capable and can transfer high-resolution audio content. In addition, there is a dedicated audio chip (384k/32 Bit). The Infrared sender has again been included and can be used instead of various remote controls for example for TVs, Blu-Ray players and DSLR cameras, but unfortunately not for any AV receivers or compact stereos.
The integrated notification LED can only be turned on or off, and cannot be configured any further. There is now an additional Always-On display, whose configuration is somewhat hidden under the display lock setting.
Software
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro uses the current Google Android 8.0 Oreo as the operating system, which is overlaid by the manufacturer's own EMUI 8.0 user interface (UI). The predecessor is currently still running Android 7.0 with EMUI 5.0. Huawei explains the major jump in EMUI versions, which cannot be justified by an increase in the range of features, with an alignment to the Android version number. There are really only a few updates, such as the optional Google feed on the home screen or a software-based 3D touch for compatible apps, although this has been integrated into the operating system since Android 7.1. Some minor additional functions of Android 8 were also overlaid by EMUI. For example, it actually should be possible to combine the color Eye-comfort mode with the sunrise or sunset, but in the Mate 10 Pro this could not be selected at the time of our testing. The power management has also been optimized, and the more power-intensive background processes are monitored and can be killed if necessary. However, there is still room for improvement with this feature, since sometimes apps that use additional power can be killed without any notification.
The Google security patches were current as of October 5 2017 and thus up-to-date. If the update policies of the Mate 9 are adhered to, there should be regular updates.
The new NPU of the Kirin 970 also impacts everyday usage of the smartphone. For example, it enables fast creation of thumbnails in the Gallery and supports apps such as the Bind Translator during the translation. The additional chip is currently not openly obvious to the user, but does its work discretely in the background by recognizing much-used apps and accelerating them through prioritization.
The firmware was updated several times during the test, first receiving an update to B113 and finally to B115. Those are mainly minor improvements and bug fixes.
Update 12/27/2017: Huawei distributes an update to firmware version 8.0.0.127(C432) with a file size of 538 MB. The update adds support for Amazon Video and improves the video playback stability in general. There are also optimizations for the system performance as well as the power consumption. Google's security patch level is updated to 11/06/2017.
Update 4/18/2018: Huawei has released firmware version 8.0.0.137(C432) with a size of 471 MB. New in this version: the Google Assistant is now capable of enabling the display, and a new notification emblem for missed calls and unread messages has been implemented. Google’s security patches have been brought up to date (March 2018).
Update 06/13/2018: Huawei has released firmware version 8.0.0.143(C432) for the Mate 10 Pro (793 MB). Among others it brings support for unlocking the phone via face detection and is supposed to improve Bluetooth connectivity as well as Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWifi). Google’s security patches have been updated and are now as of May 1, 2018.
Update 08/28/2018: Huawei releases the 550 MB firmware version 8.0.0.148(C432). The new GPU Turbo is supposed to improve the gaming performance. The connectivity for the wireless reception and Bluetooth was improved as well, the time limit for the screen recorder is removed, the gallery is optimized, and a problem with Google Music is fixed, where the app did not work when the smartphone was connected to a car. The security patch level is updated to July 1st, 2018.
Huawei provides the Mate 10 Pro with a desktop mode, which works just like Samsung's DeX, the only difference being that our test device does not need a docking station. An optional USB Type-C to HDMI or DisplayPort cable is sufficient. As in the Samsung version, the resolution on the external monitor is limited to 1920x1080 pixels. The desktop is organized clearly and allows effortless multitasking. For navigation, the smartphone can be used as a touchpad and the keyboard of the device can be used for input. Alternatively, you can also connect external input devices to the Phablet via Bluetooth for increased comfort. It is also convenient that you can continue to use the Mate 10 Pro as a smartphone during Desktop mode.
The only real downside is the lacking option to charge the smartphone while it is in desktop mode.
Communication and GPS
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro connects to mobile data at up to 1.2 GBit/s via the fast LTE Cat. 18. With that, Huawei offers the fastest mobile transfer technology at the time of the test, and even if it currently cannot be used, the fast mobile data connection assures a high-end experience in the near future. The coverage of frequency bands is excellent, turning the smartphone into a real global player. In addition, the manufacturer does not neglect the 3G frequencies either. With four antennas, the reception is also very good indoors, and we did not notice any negative abnormalities during the period of our testing.
Even though for the WLAN technology, Huawei uses the current ac standard and supports the 2.4 as well as the 5.0 GHz network, it forgoes the MIMO technology, causing the transfer speeds to our Linksys EA8500 reference router to turn out much lower than in many competitors, yet improving them significantly compared to the Mate 9. Right next to the Access Point (AP), the reception quality is very good and offers a damping between -28 and -33 dBm. Even across greater distances (15 m/~50 ft, one exterior wall) the WLAN signal is maintained, but the damping increases a lot, reaching -72 dBm (2.4 GHz) or -83 dBm (5.0 GHz). In this case, HD streaming will be difficult.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| OnePlus 5 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ Premium | |
| Huawei Mate 9 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | |
| Sony Xperia XZ Premium | |
| OnePlus 5 | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| Huawei Mate 9 | |
The position of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is located via the GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou satellite networks. The Chinese have cut the European Galileo from the list of supported GNSS. Instead, further sensors are supposed to support the locating and navigate the user reliably, even if there is no direct satellite signal, as is the case in tunnels, for example. For this, the smartphone additionally uses the gyro and G sensors and the barometer. This should also ensure that it reconnects to the navigation system as quickly as possible. Outdoors, the satellite fix succeeds very quickly with an accuracy of up to four meters (~13 ft). In the basement, locating was still possible, even if it only succeeded near windows and with less precision, as expected.
We let the Huawei Mate 10 Pro compete in airplane mode against the Garmin Edge 500 bicycle computer in a short bike ride. The smartphone does not show any weaknesses. While it shows some minor deviations from the route, it is more accurate overall than the specialist device.
Telephone and Call Quality
The Mate 9 has already distinguished itself with an excellent call quality, and Huawei is following this with the Mate 10 Pro. The manufacturer uses three microphones to ensure good suppression of surrounding noises and a clear voice quality. With the new Huawei EasyTalk, the NPU is also active in the background in that it is learning to recognize the voice of the user so that only that is transferred during the call. Even the user's whispering is supposed to be conveyed quite clearly in loud surroundings.
In fact, this really works surprisingly well, and there is nothing to complain about the call quality at the earpiece. The speaker also offers a good call quality without any echoing. The included headset has a good microphone as well, even if it is sensitive to wind and offers no noise suppression.
In addition, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is the first smartphone that masters Voice over LTE (VoLTE) with both SIM cards, thus enabling constant HD telephony. Calling over a Wi-Fi connection is also supported.
Cameras
There is an 8-MP camera in front, which has a fixed focus and with an aperture of f/2.0 is nominally less light-sensitive than its predecessor. Videos can be recorded in Full HD and stereo sound. There is also electronic image stabilization. Even in low light, the camera still proves itself surprisingly light-sensitive, and even if this is slightly at the expense of details, the offered performance is still more than enough for social networks and such. In daylight, the optics produce good results. In addition, there is a ten-step Beauty mode and a Bokeh mode.
The dual camera on the back offers a 12-MP RGB sensor as well as a 20-MP monochrome sensor. The camera has been developed in cooperation with Leica and offers the more light-sensitive Summilux lenses (H 1:1.6 / 27 ASPH), both of which have an aperture of f/1.6. However, the optical image stabilization is limited to the RGB sensor. The second monochrome optics are supposed to ensure more detailed images in low light by combining the information from the second sensor with that of the first. You can also take pure black-and-white images, which compel with a high contrast and dynamic.
The new NPU also plays a role with the camera, enabling fast automatic scene recognition and adjusting the camera settings accordingly to ensure optimal image results directly when pressing the shutter release. The hybrid zoom, which simulates a dual optical zoom and is able to digitally enlarge up to 10 times, is also included.
The image quality is really good and shows no real weaknesses during daylight. The details and shadings are reproduced excellently. Even though the dual hybrid zoom is digital, the results are very good. The details and sharpness are fitting, but the color reproduction could be a little sharper and more natural. In the latter, the Note 8 and the OnePlus 5 have an advantage with their additional zoom lens. However, this changes in weak light conditions, since the performance of the competition drops considerably, and the Mate 10 Pro still manages to produce the same quality. Even though the low-light quality has improved a lot compared to the Mate 9, the Note 8 and the OnePlus 5 still achieve better results without zoom than the test unit, whose images appear fairly poor in detail and slightly washed out, even if the illumination looks good.
The video mode continues to be an additional weakness. Even though the quality in Full HD and Ultra HD is very good at 30 FPS, the image becomes much darker and noisy in Full HD with 60 FPS. This is unfortunate, since the recorded stereo sound is really compelling.
2x zoom of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, OnePlus 5, and Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in comparison
We further analyze the dual camera of Huawei Mate 10 Pro under controlled light conditions. We evaluate the color reproduction of the camera images closely with the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport. The white balance is comparatively warm and colors are reproduced fairly saturated. Only the cyan color is slightly too pale and the skin tone has a slight red tint.
We evaluated the various modes of the Mate 10 Pro with our test chart. The highest degree of sharpness and detail is achieved with the monochrome sensor, which still shows an extremely sharp recording performance at the edge areas. The combined image with 20 MP from both sensors also looks great and shows very good colors and hardly any weaknesses with text on a dark background. Things look different in the 12-MP version, where the individual symbols look slightly frayed, being more blurry at the edges. The hybrid zoom looks worse, not only being quite blurry on the edge of the image, but even having problems in the image center. In the past, Huawei has already shown that this can be done better, so there will probably be some improvements in some later updates.
Accessories and Warranty
The box of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro includes a clear cover, a small SIM tool, a modular power supply, a USB cable (Type-A to Type-C), earphones with a USB Type-C port adapter, and an adapter for USB Type-C to audio jack (3.5 mm). Unfortunately, our test unit does not include the quick-start instructions, or the warranty and safety instructions. However, they will be included in the retail version. Optionally, there will be various covers, a 360-degree camera (200 Euros/~$432), and a smartscale (90 Euros/~$104). The PowerBank (10000 mAh, Safe SuperCharge support) shown during the presentation will not be available in this country for the time being.
Huawei offers 24 months of warranty for the smartphone. Unfortunately, an upgrade to 36 months as for the P10 is not available. Instead, buyers in Berlin have the option to get damage to the device fixed at home within the first year. This service is supposed to be expanded in future. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices and Operation
The capacitive touchscreen of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro has a Corning Gorilla Glass 5 surface and recognizes up to ten touch points simultaneously. The sliding characteristics are very comfortable, and the display recognizes inputs precisely and quickly up to the corners. There is also a glove mode for winter. However, then you need to apply more pressure on the panel for the touch to be recognized. The knuckle gestures introduced since the Mate S are included again and are supposed to facilitate multitasking by sliding across the screen with the knuckles. You can remove the protective foil on the display applied by the manufacturer without any concerns. Although fingerprints become quickly visible on the glass, they can be cleaned off easily.
In terms of the keyboard, SwiftKey is preinstalled, but can be easily replaced by any layout from the Google Play Store. The physical keys on the right side can be reached easily and felt by both left-handed as well as right-handed people. They sit tightly in the case and have a short and crisp stroke.
Once again, the fingerprint sensor can be found on the back and is within easy reach. Anyone who switches from a current Galaxy S or Note smartphone will be surprised that it is not necessary anymore to reach as far with the finger. The sensor area works well and unlocks the smartphone quickly and reliably. In addition, swiping gestures are supported for example for controlling the notification center and for leafing through the gallery.
Swiping across the navigation bar will activate the one-handed mode, which decreases the display content size - a simple but useful method.
Display
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro has a 6.0-inch (15.24 cm) FullView display in the 2:1 format and a resolution of 2160x1080 pixels. At 402 PPI, it achieves a good pixel density, which displays content pleasantly sharp. However, in a high-end product we would have liked to see a panel with a QHD+ resolution. In terms of display technology, OLED is used, leading to a perfect black value and to infinite contrast in theory. HDR is also supported.
The brightness of the panel even beats the top of the class Galaxy Note 8, achieving up to 659 cd/m² on a pure white background, with the surrounding-light sensor activated. With a uniform distribution of dark and light areas (APL50), it is even 897 cd/m² in the center of the display. If you deactivate the brightness sensor, you have a maximum of 416 cd/m² available.
You can also configure an Always-On display, but it first needs to be activated in the settings and is called "Always show information." Since this is an OLED display, Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) is used to reduce the brightness. The frequency always fluctuates between 211 and 271 Hz and thus is not particularly high. Anyone having problems with other OLED screens will not fare much better with Huawei's product. The amplitude itself is relatively flat and is on the same level as the displays of the Galaxy smartphones.
At 94%, the brightness distribution of the display is very good. There is also an Eye-comfort mode, which reduces the amount of blue light, supposedly protecting the eyes. In combination with the very low minimum brightness of only 1.7 cd/m², the Huawei Mate 10 Pro offers the best conditions for a comfortable reading of eBooks at night.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 94 %
Center on Battery: 629 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.15
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro OLED, 2160x1080, 6" | Huawei Mate 9 IPS, 1920x1080, 5.9" | Honor 8 Pro IPS, 2560x1440, 5.7" | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Super AMOLED, 2960x1440, 6.3" | Apple iPhone 8 Plus IPS, 1920x1080, 5.5" | Sony Xperia XZ Premium IPS, 3840x2160, 5.5" | HTC U Ultra SLCD 5, 2560x1440, 5.7" | Lenovo Phab 2 Pro IPS, 2560x1440, 6.4" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -66% | -49% | -24% | 7% | -24% | -122% | -133% | |
| Brightness middle | 629 | 696 11% | 541 -14% | 530 -16% | 559 -11% | 578 -8% | 470 -25% | 472.4 -25% |
| Brightness | 636 | 680 7% | 514 -19% | 536 -16% | 538 -15% | 568 -11% | 445 -30% | 479 -25% |
| Brightness Distribution | 94 | 93 -1% | 91 -3% | 93 -1% | 90 -4% | 92 -2% | 88 -6% | 93 -1% |
| Black Level * | 0.42 | 0.3 | 0.38 | 0.62 | 0.22 | 0.482 | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.7 | 4.3 -153% | 3.2 -88% | 2.6 -53% | 1.3 24% | 2.8 -65% | 5.5 -224% | 7 -312% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.6 | 9.4 -161% | 7.2 -100% | 5.1 -42% | 2.7 25% | 5.1 -42% | 11.9 -231% | 11 -206% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 4.8 -100% | 4 -67% | 2.7 -13% | 1.8 25% | 2.8 -17% | 7.6 -217% | 7.9 -229% |
| Gamma | 2.15 102% | 2.33 94% | 2.27 97% | 2.04 108% | 2.25 98% | 2.15 102% | 2.2 100% | 2.34 94% |
| CCT | 6337 103% | 7255 90% | 7120 91% | 6206 105% | 6797 96% | 6728 97% | 7454 87% | 7826 83% |
| Contrast | 1657 | 1803 | 1471 | 932 | 2136 | 980 |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 247.5 Hz |  | |
The display backlight flickers at 247.5 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) . The frequency of 247.5 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
An OLED display promises saturated colors and large color space coverage. To test this in more detail in the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, we examine the smartphone with a photo spectrometer and the CalMAN analysis software. Huawei has expanded the setting options slightly and now offers the additional color modes of Normal and Vivid, in addition to the known white balance parameters of Standard, Warm and Cold. Our measurements show that in the Vivid color mode, the colors are slightly more saturated, there is a minimal blue tint, but also a larger DCI-P3 color space coverage. While the Standard/Normal settings offer the most natural color reproduction, only the smaller sRGB color space will be covered, but an average DeltaE of 2.4 for the Grayscales and 1.7 for the mixed colors is even better than the Galaxy Note 8. In the comparison, this is only barely beaten by the iPhone 8 Plus.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 2.4 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 14 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 6.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 3.6 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 2.8 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 16 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Outdoors, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro benefits from its extremely high maximum brightness and the strong contrast. The display always remains easily readable, and even direct sunlight does not pose too many problems for the user, although the reflective characteristics of the surface are not quite as good as for example in the Galaxy Note 8.
The viewing angle stability of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is on a very good level. As long as the viewing angle is not too steep, even the slight green veil, typical for OLED-Screens, will not appear. We did not notice any ghosting effects. The loss in brightness is also very low.
Performance
With the HiSilicon Kirin 970, the Mate 10 Pro uses Huawei's latest SoC. As with its predecessor, it consists of a performance and efficiency cluster each with four cores. The performance cluster uses ARM Cortex A73 cores each with a clock speed of up to 2.4 GHz. The second cluster consists of A53 cores with up to 1.8 GHz. Although nominally nothing has changed in the cores, the greatest change can be found in the manufacturing technology. While the Kirin 960 was manufactured in 16 nanometers, the 970 now uses 10 nm. The GPU has received an upgrade, and there is now an ARM Mali-G72 with 12 cores in the Mate 10, which promises more performance as well as improved efficiency compared to the G71 model. The system is supported by an ample 6 GB of LPDDR4x working memory.
In Geekbench, the Mate 10 Pro is able to perform slightly better than its predecessor, offering the fastest SoC in the multi-core area for Android. The test unit masters the system benchmarks excellently, achieving first place in PCMark, and in AnTuTu the Mate 10 Pro is only beaten by the iPhone 8. Subjectively, EMUI 8.0 runs very smoothly.
Even though the GPU performance has improved considerably, it still cannot compare to the other top current graphics units such as the one in the Note 8 (Mali-G71 MP20) or the HTC U11(Adreno 540), when more demanding connections are used. The offered performance is at about the same level as the Adreno 530.
| Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value) | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| Huawei Mate 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | |
| HTC U11 | |
| Lenovo Phab 2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus | |
| Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value) | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| Huawei Mate 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | |
| HTC U11 | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus | |
| Epic Citadel - Ultra High Quality (sort by value) | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| Huawei Mate 9 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | |
| HTC U11 | |
| Lenovo Phab 2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus | |
We tested the browser performance with the preinstalled Chrome 61. Subjectively, there are no problems when surfing the Internet, and web sites load quickly. However, in the benchmarks, this area appears to be a weakness of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. In WebXPRT, it is only sufficient for a spot in the middle of the field, and in the remaining benchmarks only for the lower third, together with the comparison devices with the weaker equipment.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | |
| OnePlus 5 (Chrome 59) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Samsung Browser 6.0) | |
| HTC U11 (Chrome 58) | |
| Huawei Mate 9 (Chrome 54) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus (Samsung Browser 5.2) | |
| Honor 8 Pro (Chrome Version 57) | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61) | |
| LG V30 (Chrome 62) | |
| Lenovo Phab 2 Pro (Chrome 54.0.2840.85) | |
| HTC U Ultra (Chrome 56) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus (Samsung Browser 5.2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Samsung Browser 6.0) | |
| OnePlus 5 (Chrome 59) | |
| Huawei Mate 9 (Chrome 54) | |
| HTC U11 (Chrome 58) | |
| LG V30 (Chrome 62) | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61) | |
| Honor 8 Pro (Chrome Version 57) | |
| Lenovo Phab 2 Pro (Chrome 54.0.2840.85) | |
| HTC U Ultra (Chrome 56) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| HTC U Ultra (Chrome 56) | |
| LG V30 (Chrome 62) | |
| Lenovo Phab 2 Pro (Chrome 54.0.2840.85) | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61) | |
| Honor 8 Pro (Chrome Version 57) | |
| HTC U11 (Chrome 58) | |
| Huawei Mate 9 (Chrome 54) | |
| OnePlus 5 (Chrome 59) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus (Samsung Browser 5.2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Samsung Browser 6.0) | |
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | |
| WebXPRT 2015 - Overall | |
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | |
| HTC U11 (Chrome 58) | |
| OnePlus 5 (Chrome 59) | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (Samsung Browser 6.0) | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61) | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus (Samsung Browser 5.2) | |
| Huawei Mate 9 (Chrome 54) | |
| Honor 8 Pro (Chrome Version 57) | |
| LG V30 (Chrome 62) | |
| Lenovo Phab 2 Pro | |
* ... smaller is better
There is an ample 128 GB of internal storage for the users of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro. This is twice as much as the usual standard of the competition in this device class. On the other hand, there is no option to expand the storage via a microSD card anymore. This is a decision that is hard for us to follow. However, the speed in our test unit is excellent and is on the level of UFS 2.1 storage. Unfortunately, this is not the only kind of storage that is used, but it is also possible that the Mate 10 Pro may be equipped with the slower UFS 2.0 storage.
After the first system start, there is still 108 GB available to the user. Unfortunately the firmware, which was already quite large in the Mate 9, has grown further and is now using a hefty 16.56 GB. The Porsche Design variant of the Mate 10 (256 GB) even uses up 25.39 GB.
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | Huawei Mate 9 | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | Honor 8 Pro | Sony Xperia XZ Premium | HTC U11 | OnePlus 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -44% | -23% | 2% | -37% | -21% | -21% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 732 | 594 -19% | 797 9% | 738 1% | 687 -6% | 717 -2% | 748 2% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 208.7 | 142.9 -32% | 205.9 -1% | 187.1 -10% | 194 -7% | 206.4 -1% | 201.5 -3% |
| Random Read 4KB | 132.3 | 94.7 -28% | 122.5 -7% | 166.4 26% | 74.1 -44% | 91.4 -31% | 141 7% |
| Random Write 4KB | 164.4 | 8.77 -95% | 14.55 -91% | 151.6 -8% | 17.2 -90% | 80 -51% | 19.3 -88% |
Games
With its modern ARM Mali-G72 MP12 graphics unit, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro offers a very good performance and supports all the current graphics standards such as Open GL ES 3.2 and Vulkan 1.0. Thus, there are no limitations to gaming, also because Huawei has not used a high-resolution QHD+ panel. This is confirmed by the benchmarks, and games such as "Asphalt 8" and "Dead Trigger 2" deliver consistent sufficiently high frame rates, even if the limit is set to 30 FPS here. This limit is not imposed on casual games such as "Angry Birds 2," so they can reach a fast 58 FPS on average.
The position sensors and touchscreen do not offer any cause for complaint and contribute to the gaming fun. Only the positioning of the primary speaker at the bottom edge is not optimal for gaming, since it can be easily covered when holding the device in landscape position.
| Asphalt 8: Airborne | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 30 fps | ||
| very low | 30 fps | ||
| Dead Trigger 2 | |||
| Settings | Value | ||
| high | 30 fps | ||
Emissions
Temperature
Even during constant load, the surface temperatures of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro remain relatively low and only rarely reach the 40 °C mark (104 °F). While idling, the smartphone stays very cool and reaches a maximum of 26.3 °C (80 °F).
We analyze the temperatures of the SoC during constant load with the GFXBench battery test. The corresponding scenarios are run thirty times in a row while recording the battery level and frame rates. In the T-Rex test (Open GL ES 2.0), the test unit behaves flawlessly, delivering the full performance throughout the whole duration of the test. In the demanding Manhattan test (OpenGL ES 3.1), things already look different. During this test, the performance drops by almost 40% at times. This is not for long though, and even the lowest value is almost as high as the top result of the Mate 9.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.7 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.8 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26 °C / 79 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
As with its predecessor, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro has two speakers. One is positioned in the ear piece and the other at the bottom edge. Although at slightly above 84 dB(A), the two can become quite loud, their positioning is not optimal, since the component at the bottom edge in particular can easily become covered in landscape mode. The sound quality is fairly good, especially since the lower mids are filled in by the second speaker. However, this is only the case for a medium volume, and at high volume the Mate 10 Pro quickly distorts some frequencies slightly. This became especially noticeable in the range around 2kHz. Still, the audio package offers a good overall impression and can even handle prolonged listening sessions at times, as long as they do not have to be very loud.
In the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei foregoes a headphone jack for the first time. Instead, the USB port is also used for the audio connection. In combination with the dedicated audio chip (384k/32 Bit), an excellent sound output should be possible through the digital transfer path. Huawei even speaks about a lossless audio chain. Suitable earphones are included in the box. They offer a decent and balanced sound output, despite their cheap looks. Anyone wanting to use headphones with an audio plug can make use of the included adapter. However, it might be better to use the Bluetooth connection in this case, since the Mate 10 Pro is the first Chinese smartphone that can also transfer high-resolution audio content wirelessly via Qualcomm aptX HD.
Huawei Mate 10 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 62% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 32% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 77% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Samsung Galaxy Note 8 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 42% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 61% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Sony Xperia XZ Premium audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.3% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 62% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 78% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Frequency comparison (Checkboxes selectable!)
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the Huawei Mate 10 Pro is on a very good level, and only at minimum brightness, which is indeed very low in the test unit (1.71 cd/m²); we would have expected even slightly less. In the comparison, only the Galaxy S8+ offers an even better result, and even some smartphones with much smaller displays use more power.
According to Huawei's own statements, it is the first manufacturer who had its rapid charging procedure tested and certified by the TÜV Rheinland (a German agency for technical certification) to ensure that the charging procedure is as fast and safe as possible. According to the specifications, the charger of the Mate 10 Pro is identical to that of the Mate 9 and offers a nominal power of up to 22.5 watts (5 V, 2 A; 4.5 V, 5.0 A; 5 V, 4.5 A). Yet the smartphone is charging much faster, managing a full charge in only 80 minutes. This is only possible with the included charger. Anyone using a charger from another manufacturer will need to expect much longer charging times. For example, with a QuickCharge-3 charger (5.0 V, 2.5A; 9.0 V, 1.7 A; 12 V, 1.25 A) it took considerably longer. At 0.005 watts, the power consumption of the included charger is pleasantly low.
Unfortunately, Huawei has not integrated wireless charging, justifying their decision during the presentation with too-low charging speeds. Yet this would have made the Phablet more flexible, in our opinion.
| Off / Standby |   0.02 / 0.3 Watt |
| Idle |  0.85 / 1.15 / 1.23 Watt |
| Load |
4.12 / 8.42 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro 4000 mAh | Huawei Mate 9 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 3300 mAh | Apple iPhone 8 Plus 2691 mAh | Sony Xperia XZ Premium 3230 mAh | HTC U11 3000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus 3500 mAh | OnePlus 5 3300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -37% | -1% | -41% | -42% | -24% | 10% | -20% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.85 | 0.78 8% | 0.73 14% | 0.72 15% | 0.62 27% | 0.73 14% | 0.68 20% | 0.73 14% |
| Idle Average * | 1.15 | 2.13 -85% | 1.44 -25% | 2.45 -113% | 2.44 -112% | 1.96 -70% | 1.13 2% | 1.44 -25% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.23 | 2.17 -76% | 1.53 -24% | 2.52 -105% | 2.59 -111% | 1.98 -61% | 1.16 6% | 1.5 -22% |
| Load Average * | 4.12 | 6.32 -53% | 4.56 -11% | 3.84 7% | 4.94 -20% | 4.82 -17% | 4.69 -14% | 6.91 -68% |
| Load Maximum * | 8.42 | 6.49 23% | 5.09 40% | 9.02 -7% | 7.91 6% | 7.15 15% | 5.24 38% | 8.51 -1% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
As with its predecessors, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro boasts with a large 4000 mAh battery. The manufacturer specified a battery life that would be 30% longer than that of the Mate 9, which was unfortunately not confirmed in the test.
The tests offer the best comparison with the panel brightness adjusted to 150 cd/m². During the WLAN surfing test, the Mate 10 Pro achieved a very good result in the comparison, moving to the top of the field, although it lasts only about 10% longer than its predecessor. The continuous loop of a Full HD video offers even worse results, so probably the manufacturer still needs to make some improvements via updates, in order to come even close to the promised battery life. In PCMark, the Mate 10 Pro also lagged behind the Mate 9.
Due to the low minimum brightness, the smartphone lasted for a long time in the Reader’s test. The runtimes under load were similarly compelling, even if they will probably turn out slightly shorter during gaming and very power-demanding applications. Anyone needing to coax more performance from the battery can also activate the power-saving mode or reduce the panel resolution. But even without those functions, the battery will easily last for a day of use, and anyone who uses the smartphone more as a messenger and does not play games can also manage two or three days.
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro 4000 mAh | Huawei Mate 9 4000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy Note 8 3300 mAh | Apple iPhone 8 Plus 2691 mAh | Honor 8 Pro 4000 mAh | Sony Xperia XZ Premium 3230 mAh | HTC U11 3000 mAh | OnePlus 5 3300 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -16% | -36% | -17% | -33% | -17% | -38% | -30% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1744 | 1538 -12% | 1134 -35% | 2085 20% | 1378 -21% | 1754 1% | 1250 -28% | 1534 -12% |
| H.264 | 929 | 947 2% | 662 -29% | 733 -21% | 675 -27% | 802 -14% | 498 -46% | 623 -33% |
| WiFi v1.3 | 818 | 758 -7% | 474 -42% | 657 -20% | 573 -30% | 695 -15% | 560 -32% | 518 -37% |
| Load | 398 | 219 -45% | 246 -38% | 211 -47% | 181 -55% | 236 -41% | 212 -47% | 247 -38% |
| PCMark for Android - Work 2.0 battery life | |
| Huawei Mate 9 | |
| Huawei Mate 10 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 Plus | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | |
| HTC U11 | |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is a strong high-end smartphone, which is even fairly affordable compared to this year's competitors. The great FullView panel and the good display-to-surface ratio are compelling. With LTE Cat. 18 (max. 1.2 GBit/s) and Dual-VoLTE, there are even features that can currently only be found in the Mate 10 Pro. Added are a great performance, good cameras, and a huge battery that offers an enormous capacity at 4000 mAh, but cannot deliver as claimed. We expect Huawei to make improvements here, but we doubt that this will really be sufficient for the 30% claimed. On the other hand, Huawei delivered excellent work in the rapid charging technology, recharging the smartphone in no time at all.
Premium made in China: small caveats, but a lot that impresses!
The high-resolution audio chip sounds enticing, but unfortunately Huawei has cut the headphone jack and offers only wired sound through the USB port. On the other hand, it is a positive that the Chinese manufacturer has decided to integrate aptX HD into the Mate 10 Pro. The loss of the microSD card slot is another negative, which the relatively large 128 GB of storage does not quite make up for. We also would have liked the option to charge the smartphone wirelessly, which would have been particularly useful in the desktop mode.
We were surprised by the high quality of the display. Of course Huawei has also used great panels in the past, but it did not gather much experience with OLEDs until now. Particularly in the core competencies of brightness and color accuracy, the Mate 10 Pro is even better than the competing models by Samsung.
Although the cameras are really good as well, they cannot reach the current top models, since the performance of the hybrid zoom, the low-light performance and video are simply not good enough for this. Anyone who is outdoors a lot will find a great photo companion in the Mate 10 Pro, which enables great shots. Speaking of outdoors: the GPS is very accurate and due to the IP67 certification, you do not need to fear bad weather.
Overall, Huawei offers an excellent smartphone with the Mate 10 Pro, which also convinces with its extremely smooth operating system and great usability. In addition, the product remains relatively affordable at less than 800 Euros (~$928).
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
- 09/03/2022 v7 (old)
Daniel Schmidt
Price comparison
