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Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS Smartphone Review

Pure luxury?

The name says it all: The Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS wants to offer pure luxury, which is reflected in the device’s exorbitant price. Find out in this review whether one of the world’s most expensive smartphones is worth the hefty investment.
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS

Few smartphones cost more than 1,500 Euros (~$1,728). There are a few absurdly expensive special editions of regular smartphones that have been dressed in gold or diamonds, but the Apple iPhone XS and XS Max are the only mainstream devices that have entered our offices until now with variants that cost more than 1,500 Euros (~$1,728). This exclusive club received a new member with the arrival of the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS, which costs an eye-watering 1,695 Euros (~$1,953). The highlights of the device are its Leica triple camera system, the same as the ones in the Huawei P20 Pro, its two fingerprint sensors and its notch-free display. The Mate RS also has numerous Porsche Design exclusive accessories too.

The device is currently available on the Porsche Design online store for 1,550 Euros (~$1,786) with free delivery within most European countries. We have chosen to compare the Mate RS against the similarly priced iPhone XS and other flagship devices that seem like bargains by comparison. Our other comparison devices include the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 and the Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium.

Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 970 8 x 2.4 GHz, Cortex-A73/-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
6 GB 
Display
6.00 inch 16:8, 2880 x 1440 pixel 537 PPI, Capacitive touch screen, AMOLED, glossy: yes
Storage
256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 256 GB 
, 240 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, Audio Connections: Audio output over USB Type-C, 2 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, Compass, USB On-The-Go (OTG), Infrared transmitter
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, 2G: 850, ​900, ​1,800, 1,900. 3G: B1, ​B2, ​B4, ​B5, ​B6, ​B8, ​B19, ​B34, ​B39. 4G: B1, ​B2, B3, ​B4, ​B5, ​B7, ​B8, ​B9, ​B12, ​B17, ​B18, ​B19, ​B20, ​B26, ​B28, B32, ​B34, ​B38, ​B39, ​B40, ​B41., Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.5 x 152.9 x 72.5 ( = 0.33 x 6.02 x 2.85 in)
Battery
15.2 Wh, 4000 mAh Lithium-Ion, Quick Charge
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 40 MPix Main camera: f/1.8, Contrast Autofocus (AF), Laser Autofocus (AF), Phase Autofocus (AF), Dual LED flash, Videos at up to 2160p, 960 FPS videos at up to 720p. Monochrome sensor: 20 MP, depth of field. Telephoto Lens: 8 MP, f/2.4
Secondary Camera: 24 MPix f/2.0
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo speakers, Keyboard: Virtual keyboard, Leather case, Headphones, USB Type-A to Type-C cable, Charger, SIM tool, USB Type-C to 3.5 mm jack adapter, 24 Months Warranty, IP67-certified, LTE Cat 18/​13 (1200Mbps/​150Mbps), SAR-value: 1.2W/​kg (body), fanless
Weight
183 g ( = 6.46 oz / 0.4 pounds), Power Supply: 85 g ( = 3 oz / 0.19 pounds)
Price
1695 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Huawei and Porsche Design have designed the Mate RS without a notch, which may please those who have disliked the recent smartphone trend for notched displays. The front of the device houses the front-facing camera, the earpiece and sensor and it has Porsche Design branding emblazoned beneath the display. The display has top and bottom bezels, but the side bezels are comparatively narrow, curving into the metal case like on the Samsung Galaxy S9. The back is made of glass and features more company branding. The Mate RS dispenses with design gimmicks and is only available in black. The device should suit every environment whether that be at work or at home.

The Mate RS weighs 183 grams, which places it within the middle of the pack of our comparison devices. The device is narrow enough for small hands too thanks to being 72.5 mm wide. Most of our comparison devices are larger than the Mate RS, with the device having a slightly smaller footprint than its stable-mate, the Mate 10 Pro.

The device is IP67-certified against dust and water, meaning that it should be dust-tight and immersible in up to one meter of water for at least 30 minutes. Our test device is well-constructed with no gaps or defects between materials. Likewise, we could not twist the device with our bare hands nor did the case creak when we applied pressure to it.

The Mate RS is a different beast to the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 10, the latter of which is essentially a rebranded Mate 10 Pro. By contrast, the Mate RS shares hardware with several Huawei flagship devices while having its own design as demonstrated by the notch-less display.

Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS

Size Comparison

162 mm / 6.38 in 76.4 mm / 3.01 in 8.8 mm / 0.3465 in 201 g0.4431 lbs158 mm / 6.22 in 80 mm / 3.15 in 11.9 mm / 0.4685 in 236 g0.52 lbs154.2 mm / 6.07 in 74.5 mm / 2.93 in 7.9 mm / 0.311 in 178 g0.3924 lbs152.9 mm / 6.02 in 72.5 mm / 2.85 in 8.5 mm / 0.3346 in 183 g0.4034 lbs143.6 mm / 5.65 in 70.9 mm / 2.79 in 7.7 mm / 0.3031 in 177 g0.3902 lbs148 mm / 5.83 in 105 mm / 4.13 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The Mate RS has 256 GB of storage and 6 GB RAM; plenty of memory is a trademark of Porsche Design smartphones. The large volumes of internal storage and RAM undoubtedly contribute to the device’s high purchase price, but the Mate 10 Pro has only 128 GB internal storage, while the iPhone XS costs 1,319 Euros (~$1,518) for 256 GB memory; a 170-Euro (~$195) surcharge over the 64 GB version. The Mate RS has no microSD card expansion, but there is a 512 GB variant should you need more storage. This variant is difficult to find though and costs around 2,000 Euros (~$2,303).

The device has a host of modern equipment, including a USB 3.1 Gen 1 USB Type-C port that supports USB OTG. There is also an infrared transmitter for controlling supported devices within remote control apps. Moreover, the Mate RS has an NFC chip and two fingerprint sensors, the latter of which we will discuss in greater detail in our Input Devices & Operation section.

Top-side: IR sensor, microphone
Top-side: IR sensor, microphone
Underside: speaker, microphone, USB Type-C port, microphone
Underside: speaker, microphone, USB Type-C port, microphone
Left-hand side: SIM tray
Left-hand side: SIM tray
Right-hand side: volume rocker, power button
Right-hand side: volume rocker, power button

Software

Our test device has EMUI 8.1 preinstalled, which is Huawei’s customized version of Android 8.1 Oreo. Huawei should update the Mate RS to a version of EMUI based on Android 9 Pie, but it is not yet clear when this will happen. 

Porsche Design has not modified or added to EMUI; the software experience is the same as on other premium Huawei smartphones. Our test device has Huawei’s typical suite of apps preinstalled too, including a compass, a weather app, a video app called Quik, a file manager and a tips app. There is also a phone manager that can, among other features, remove any unneeded files from your device. Our test device has no other bloatware, but it is running May 2018 Android security patches, which is intolerable in late 2018 for such an expensive device.

Device & software information
Device & software information
Huawei’s preinstalled apps
Huawei’s preinstalled apps
Advice from Huawei about using the Master AI within the default camera app; just some of the information provided within the tips app
Advice from Huawei about using the Master AI within the default camera app; just some of the information provided within the tips app
Quick settings and app notifications
Quick settings and app notifications
Default home screen
Default home screen

Communication & GPS

The Mate RS supports all current Wi-Fi standards, but performance is far from the best of our comparison devices. Our test device finished last in iperf3 Client (receive) tests, some 8% behind the Mate 10 Pro. The Mate RS did better in the transmission test but still finished 13%, or 87 Mb/s, behind the Xperia XZ2 Premium. Additionally, transmission speeds frequently dropped significantly during testing with our Linksys EA8500 reference router.

In general, our test device behaved oddly in our Wi-Fi tests. The modem takes a while to reach full Wi-Fi speed, particularly in the iperf3 Client (transmit) test. We verified this with Internet speed test apps downloaded from the Google Play Store, which we then used to test the stability of Wi-Fi transmission speeds. Download speeds remained consistently high once the modem had got up to speed, but upload speeds fluctuated throughout testing. Websites and media content load quickly when we tested our device next to a router. Our test device also had 75% Wi-Fi reception when testing Wi-Fi performance around three walls and 10 meters away from our router. Websites still loaded quickly too.

We can hardly criticize the Mate RS for its mobile network performance though. The device supports 21 LTE frequencies, which is enough for worldwide usage. LTE speeds are on par with the best of our comparison devices too and our test device usually had at least 75% network reception when we used the device inside. 

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
647 MBit/s +16%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
627 (490min - 666max) MBit/s +12%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
225 MBit/s -60%
Apple iPhone XS
A12 Bionic GPU, A12 Bionic, Apple 512 GB (iPhone Xs)
587 MBit/s +5%
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
560 (445min - 611max) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Mali-G72 MP18, Exynos 9810, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
485 MBit/s -13%
iperf3 receive AX12
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
677 MBit/s +118%
Apple iPhone XS
A12 Bionic GPU, A12 Bionic, Apple 512 GB (iPhone Xs)
650 MBit/s +109%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Mali-G72 MP18, Exynos 9810, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
485 MBit/s +56%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
355 (105min - 550max) MBit/s +14%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
338 MBit/s +9%
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
Mali-G72 MP12, Kirin 970, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
311 (54min - 469max) MBit/s
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø310 (54-469)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø560 (445-611)
GPS test: Inside
GPS test: Inside
GPS test: At a window
GPS test: At a window
GPS test: Outdoors
GPS test: Outdoors

Our test device has poor GPS accuracy though, particularly in buildings. When tested in rooms with concrete floors, our test device achieved a location accuracy of only up to 64 meters. Location accuracy improved to 8 meters when we tested the device next to a window, which rose to 6 meters outside. By contrast, Google Maps found our location and viewing direction quickly.

We also took the Mate RS on a bike ride to compare its location accuracy against the Garmin Edge 520. Our test device deviated by 230 meters over a 5.6-km bike ride, which represents around a 96% GPS accuracy to the Garmin. Examining the data explains the reasoning behind the comparatively inaccurate total distance covered. The Mate RS uses fewer navigation points when tracking us, which means that the device is unable to accurately track us through corners, resulting in an apparent shorter overall distance travelled. Moreover, our test device placed us next to the path on which we were travelling rather than on it. Other flagship smartphones have better GPS accuracy, but few are as accurate as the Garmin. Hence, the Mate RS is suitable for occasional navigation tasks.

GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Through a wooded area
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Through a wooded area
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Bridge
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 - Bridge
GPS test: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS - Overview
GPS test: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS - Overview
GPS test: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS - Through a wooded area
GPS test: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS - Through a wooded area
GPS test: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS - Bridge
GPS test: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS - Bridge

Telephone Function & Call Quality

The phone app looks and functions the same as the Google equivalent but with some minor changes to how it is laid out. Overall, the app is intuitive and will be familiar to existing Huawei users and those who have used other Android smartphones before.

Call quality over the earpiece is impressive with both sides of the call sounding clear with minimal distortion regardless of how loud we spoke. Calls over speakerphone sound equally clear too and the microphones even picked our voice out well when we spoke quietly.

Cameras

Photo taken with the front-facing camera
Photo taken with the front-facing camera

Porsche Design is looking to score points with the Mate RS’ cameras, which they have borrowed from the P20 Pro. The Mate RS has the same 24 MP front-facing camera, which produces color and sharp photos in plenty of detail. The default camera app has a few effects too including but not exclusive to face smoothing and different exposure levels.

The real highlight of the Mate RS’s cameras, and the P20 Pro’s by extension, is the triple rear-facing camera array, which consists of a 40 MP main sensor, a 20 MP monochrome sensor and an 8 MP telephoto sensor. The Mate RS supports up to 3x optical zoom with image stabilization. The monochrome lens works well too at creating good black and white photos, while Huawei’s “Master AI” also helps choose the right camera settings for certain scenes. The accuracy of Master AI is sometimes amiss though. For example, our test device chose "blue sky" for some of our test shots, which richly reproduced the sky in the scene but also gave shadows an exaggerated blue tint to them. Enabling the Pro mode disables any AI ​​features should you dislike its selections. The 40 MP main camera is still impressive with great color accuracy and excellent low-light performance.

The Mate RS can also record videos in up to 4K. However, we could only record 4K videos for up to 10 minutes but neither in 60 FPS nor with image stabilization. Neither should be significant restrictions, but they are worth mentioning nonetheless. The picture quality remains just as good as on the P20 Pro too. 

Please see our P20 Pro review for a more detailed look at the same camera sensors as the ones that the Mate RS uses.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
orginal image
click to load images

The triple camera array struggled once again under our controlled lighting conditions. Our test chart looks sharp at the centre of our test photo but becomes increasingly blurred towards the edge of the image. Colors looks dark too and there are also some image artefacts.

ColorChecker: The lower half of each area of color displays the reference color
ColorChecker: The lower half of each area of color displays the reference color
A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail
Our test chart in detail

Accessories & Warranty

The Mate RS comes in a huge box, indicating how much is included with the device. There are two fast chargers with different plugs for European and UK sockets, a USB Type-A to Type-C cable, a SIM tool and a set of USB Type-C headphones. Porsche Design also includes a case with a window integrated into its right-hand side, which displays the time and notifications among other things when the display is off. There is a certificate of authenticity too.

The Mate RS comes with a 24-month warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

SwiftKey is the default keyboard app on our test device. Other keyboards are downloadable from the Google Play Store should you wish to change the default keyboard.

The touchscreen is sensitive and accurate even at the edge of the display. Likewise, the texture of the display is smooth and easy to use. Cycling through menus and apps felt fast and lag-free throughout testing thanks to the Mate RS’ high system performance.

The device uses on-screen menu buttons like most smartphones. The right-hand side of the case houses the power button and volume rocker, which are the Mate RS’ only physical buttons. The buttons are accurate and have a clear pressure point. 

Notably, the Mate RS has two fingerprint sensors; one below the triple camera array and the other underneath the display. The in-screen sensor lacks the precision and speed of its rear-mounted counterpart, but users can choose which they prefer, which is a nice touch.

Using the keyboard in portrait mode
Using the keyboard in portrait mode
Using the keyboard in landscape mode
Using the keyboard in landscape mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

Our test results indicate that the Mate 10 Pro, the P20 Pro and the Mate RS all have similar AMOLED display. We realized in our Mate 10 Pro and P20 Pro reviews that setting the display to different color modes changes the maximum luminosity. Likewise, setting the display to full manual brightness results in a brighter value than with auto-brightness enabled. We set the Mate RS to the “Vivid” color mode for the purposes of our testing, which is the default color mode. The Mate RS gets about as bright as the Xperia XZ2 Premium by default, but it can reach up to 615 cd/m² in bright ambient light with the color mode set to “Normal”. We have not included these alternate values in our comparison table as they do not represent how bright the display can get by default. Delta E deviations also change when setting the color mode to “Normal” too.

460
cd/m²
433
cd/m²
449
cd/m²
461
cd/m²
450
cd/m²
484
cd/m²
458
cd/m²
444
cd/m²
453
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 484 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 454.7 cd/m² Minimum: 2.05 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 450 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.39 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 3.7 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
134.7% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.162
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
AMOLED, 2880x1440, 6"
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
LCD-IPS, 3840x2160, 5.8"
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
Super AMOLED, 2960x1440, 6.4"
Apple iPhone XS
OLED, 2436x1125, 5.8"
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
OLED, 2160x1080, 6"
Screen
27%
18%
49%
44%
Brightness middle
450
477
6%
499
11%
639
42%
629
40%
Brightness
455
453
0%
506
11%
637
40%
636
40%
Brightness Distribution
89
86
-3%
96
8%
94
6%
94
6%
Black Level *
0.33
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.39
2.1
67%
4.62
28%
1
84%
1.7
73%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
12.25
8.2
33%
10.91
11%
2.2
82%
3.6
71%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.7
1.6
57%
2.2
41%
2.2
41%
2.4
35%
Gamma
2.162 102%
2.28 96%
2.103 105%
1.9 116%
2.15 102%
CCT
7224 90%
6425 101%
6115 106%
6364 102%
6337 103%
Contrast
1445

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 240 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 240 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 240 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.

The display has good color accuracy on request. Color-space coverage is decent too, but the Mate RS uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate brightness, which is a shame. The display has an infinite black value and contrast ratio thanks to being an AMOLED panel though.

CalMAN: Color Accuracy
CalMAN: Color Accuracy
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: Saturation
CalMAN: sRGB color space
CalMAN: sRGB color space
CalMAN: DCI P3 color space
CalMAN: DCI P3 color space
CalMAN: Adobe RGB color space
CalMAN: Adobe RGB color space

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 3 ms rise
↘ 3 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. » 15 % 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
10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5 ms rise
↘ 5 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 20 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms).

The Mate RS is usable outdoors, but we struggled to read the display in direct sunlight. The theoretically infinite black value and contrast ratio help in this regard though as colors look more vivid and blacks look deeper than on an LCD-IPS display. Our test device also has strong viewing angles thanks to its AMOLED panel.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Outdoor use - brightness sensor
Outdoor use - brightness sensor
Outdoor use - maximum brightness
Outdoor use - maximum brightness
Outdoor use - medium brightness
Outdoor use - medium brightness
Outdoor use - minimum brightness
Outdoor use - minimum brightness

Performance

The HiSilicon Kirin 970 SoC powers the Mate RS, which was Huawei’s flagship chipset at the time of the device’s release. The Kirin 970 has since been replaced by the Kirin 980. The Kirin 970 has eight cores that clock up to 2.4 GHz and a neural processing unit (NPU), which supports AI and machine learning.

The Mate RS performed about the same as the P20 Pro and the Mate 10 Pro in benchmarks, but the Kirin 970 now struggles against the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 845. However, in practice the Mate RS feels snappy and has no issues when cycling through menus or apps.

The Kirin 970 also integrates an ARM Mali-G72 MP12 GPU, which handles graphics. The GPU is powerful, but the Mate RS also finished behind our Snapdragon 845-powered comparison devices in GPU benchmarks.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
181973 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
226124 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
214090 Points +18%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
177341 Points -3%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (173653 - 181973, n=8)
177915 Points -2%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
207800 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
246366 Points +19%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
236552 Points +14%
Apple iPhone XS
348178 Points +68%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
212278 Points +2%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (152773 - 212278, n=6)
197811 Points -5%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
8540 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
9858 Points +15%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
5960 Points -30%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
8439 Points -1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (8115 - 9326, n=8)
8537 Points 0%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
6998 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
8178 Points +17%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
5184 Points -26%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
6932 Points -1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (6293 - 7046, n=8)
6860 Points -2%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
3357 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
4288 Points +28%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
3110 Points -7%
Apple iPhone XS
6097 Points +82%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
3147 Points -6%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (2174 - 3374, n=8)
3125 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (1196 - 12993, n=158, last 2 years)
6454 Points +92%
System (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
5987 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
8418 Points +41%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
6137 Points +3%
Apple iPhone XS
12202 Points +104%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
5244 Points -12%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (3795 - 5987, n=8)
5387 Points -10%
Average of class Smartphone (2368 - 17953, n=158, last 2 years)
10307 Points +72%
Memory (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
4578 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
3704 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
2068 Points -55%
Apple iPhone XS
4169 Points -9%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
4142 Points -10%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (2417 - 4578, n=8)
3946 Points -14%
Average of class Smartphone (962 - 18911, n=158, last 2 years)
7001 Points +53%
Graphics (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
3575 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
7743 Points +117%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
6506 Points +82%
Apple iPhone XS
15875 Points +344%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
3657 Points +2%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (2231 - 4397, n=8)
3638 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (1017 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
17738 Points +396%
Web (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
1296 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
1400 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
1132 Points -13%
Apple iPhone XS
1711 Points +32%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
1234 Points -5%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (1091 - 1316, n=8)
1245 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (841 - 2363, n=158, last 2 years)
1574 Points +21%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
1908 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
2457 Points +29%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
3698 Points +94%
Apple iPhone XS
4824 Points +153%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
1898 Points -1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (1883 - 1922, n=8)
1901 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (844 - 9574, n=84, last 2 years)
5555 Points +191%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
6791 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
8522 Points +25%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
8874 Points +31%
Apple iPhone XS
11598 Points +71%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
6792 Points 0%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (6557 - 6792, n=8)
6697 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 34246, n=84, last 2 years)
15472 Points +128%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
5779 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
14417 Points +149%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
9059 Points +57%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
8572 Points +48%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (5779 - 9015, n=6)
8080 Points +40%
Average of class Smartphone (5192 - 28121, n=60, last 2 years)
12476 Points +116%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
30008 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
64152 Points +114%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
29994 Points 0%
Apple iPhone XS
77128 Points +157%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
30590 Points +2%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (20022 - 31605, n=8)
29035 Points -3%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
32972 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
81502 Points +147%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
36190 Points +10%
Apple iPhone XS
160199 Points +386%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
34008 Points +3%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (22429 - 36231, n=8)
32596 Points -1%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
22826 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
36762 Points +61%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
18756 Points -18%
Apple iPhone XS
27400 Points +20%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
22629 Points -1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (14556 - 23046, n=8)
21027 Points -8%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
3286 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
5492 Points +67%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
4008 Points +22%
Apple iPhone XS
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
3239 Points -1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (1943 - 3487, n=8)
3155 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (812 - 7285, n=26, last 2 years)
4204 Points +28%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
3415 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
8219 Points +141%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
4826 Points +41%
Apple iPhone XS
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
3353 Points -2%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (1954 - 3734, n=8)
3305 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (756 - 9451, n=26, last 2 years)
4740 Points +39%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
2902 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
2541 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
2515 Points -13%
Apple iPhone XS
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
2896 Points 0%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (1906 - 2902, n=8)
2732 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4349, n=26, last 2 years)
3303 Points +14%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
2991 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
4734 Points +58%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
3353 Points +12%
Apple iPhone XS
3514 Points +17%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
2850 Points -5%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (2850 - 2999, n=8)
2958 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 17553, n=71, last 2 years)
3075 Points +3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
3012 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
5190 Points +72%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
3673 Points +22%
Apple iPhone XS
3712 Points +23%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
2844 Points -6%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (2844 - 3040, n=8)
2994 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 29890, n=71, last 2 years)
3259 Points +8%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
2918 Points
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
3620 Points +24%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
2569 Points -12%
Apple iPhone XS
2960 Points +1%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
2871 Points -2%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (2582 - 2931, n=8)
2842 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 7180, n=71, last 2 years)
3280 Points +12%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
42 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
60 fps +43%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
60 fps +43%
Apple iPhone XS
60 fps +43%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
60 fps +43%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (42 - 60, n=8)
57.4 fps +37%
Average of class Smartphone (23 - 166, n=175, last 2 years)
86.8 fps +107%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
45 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
150 fps +233%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
146 fps +224%
Apple iPhone XS
251 fps +458%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
112 fps +149%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (45 - 125, n=8)
108 fps +140%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=175, last 2 years)
293 fps +551%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
26 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
58 fps +123%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
47 fps +81%
Apple iPhone XS
60 fps +131%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
56 fps +115%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (26 - 56, n=8)
50.4 fps +94%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 166, n=175, last 2 years)
76.4 fps +194%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
23 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
71 fps +209%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
76 fps +230%
Apple iPhone XS
115 fps +400%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
54 fps +135%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (23 - 66, n=8)
54.6 fps +137%
Average of class Smartphone (12 - 502, n=175, last 2 years)
172.9 fps +652%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
18 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
56 fps +211%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
25 fps +39%
Apple iPhone XS
48 fps +167%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
38 fps +111%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (18 - 39, n=8)
33.6 fps +87%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 166, n=175, last 2 years)
66.7 fps +271%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
19 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
58 fps +205%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
45 fps +137%
Apple iPhone XS
62 fps +226%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
37 fps +95%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (19 - 39, n=8)
33.9 fps +78%
Average of class Smartphone (8.3 - 365, n=175, last 2 years)
122.9 fps +547%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
10 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
37 fps +270%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
15 fps +50%
Apple iPhone XS
31 fps +210%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
22 fps +120%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (10 - 23, n=8)
19.8 fps +98%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 154, n=176, last 2 years)
49.1 fps +391%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
11 fps
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
35 fps +218%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
28 fps +155%
Apple iPhone XS
38 fps +245%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
21 fps +91%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (11 - 23, n=8)
20.4 fps +85%
Average of class Smartphone (3.1 - 216, n=175, last 2 years)
74.1 fps +574%

Legend

 
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS HiSilicon Kirin 970, ARM Mali-G72 MP12, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Samsung Exynos 9810, ARM Mali-G72 MP18, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Apple iPhone XS Apple A12 Bionic, Apple A12 Bionic GPU, Apple 512 GB (iPhone Xs)
 
Huawei Mate 10 Pro HiSilicon Kirin 970, ARM Mali-G72 MP12, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

Web-browsing on our test device felt smooth throughout testing, but the Mate RS propped up our comparison table in browser benchmarks and even lost out to the Mate 10 Pro on occasion. Complex HMTL 5 websites like Google Interland ran well on our test device, demonstrating that differences in benchmarks are not always noticeable in daily use.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone XS (Safari Mobile 12.0)
272.3 Points +378%
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium (Chrome 68)
71.2 Points +25%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (Chrome 68)
63 Points +11%
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS (Chrome 69)
57 Points
Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61)
56.6 Points -1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (33.1 - 58.6, n=8)
51.4 Points -10%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone XS (Safari Mobile 12.0)
43280 Points +266%
Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=210, last 2 years)
38304 Points +224%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (Chrome 68)
14663 Points +24%
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium (Chrome 68)
13360 Points +13%
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS (Chrome 69)
11838 Points
Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61)
10406 Points -12%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (6692 - 11838, n=8)
10111 Points -15%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (3591 - 6221, n=8)
4378 ms * -16%
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS (Chrome 69)
3762 ms *
Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61)
3591 ms * +5%
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium (Chrome 68)
3179 ms * +15%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (Chrome 68)
2710 ms * +28%
Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=167, last 2 years)
1529 ms * +59%
Apple iPhone XS (Safari Mobile 12.0)
609 ms * +84%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Apple iPhone XS (Safari Mobile 12.0)
345 Points +84%
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium (Chrome 68)
211 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (Chrome 68)
202 Points +8%
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS (Chrome 69)
187 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970 (119 - 187, n=8)
165.4 Points -12%
Huawei Mate 10 Pro (Chrome 61)
158 Points -16%

* ... smaller is better

We only tested our test device’s internal memory as there is no microSD-card slot. Our test device scored highly in AndroBench 3-5 thanks to its fast UFS 2.1 memory. Correspondingly, apps and data loaded quickly throughout testing.

Porsche Design Huawei Mate RSSony Xperia XZ2 PremiumSamsung Galaxy Note 9Huawei Mate 10 ProAverage 256 GB UFS 2.1 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-34%
-30%
-9%
12%
204%
Sequential Read 256KB
873
749
-14%
805
-8%
732
-16%
Sequential Write 256KB
241.7
171
-29%
196
-19%
208.7
-14%
Random Read 4KB
144.3
136
-6%
134
-7%
132.3
-8%
166.6 ?(108.4 - 265, n=22)
15%
Random Write 4KB
160.3
21.75
-86%
21
-87%
164.4
3%
141.5 ?(22.1 - 280, n=22)
-12%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
34.18 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
77 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
30.23 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
66.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)

Games

The Mate RS is a good gaming smartphone, but our test device only averaged 30 FPS irrespective of the graphics quality. Incidentally, the frame rate remained consistent throughout testing.

The positional sensor and touchscreen worked well too, which we verified by playing Temple Run.

Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
 SettingsValue
 min31 fps
 high HD30 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!
Asphalt 9: Legends
 SettingsValue
 High Quality30 fps
 Standard / low30 fps
  Your browser does not support the canvas element!

Emissions

Temperature

GFXBench battery test
GFXBench battery test

The Mate RS gets alarmingly hot under sustained load. The upper area of ​​the front of the device reached 48.3 °C during testing, with surface temperatures averaging 43.7 °C across the device under load. We consider critical surface temperatures to be beyond 50 °C, but 48.3 °C will feel uncomfortable to the touch, as will much of the device. In practice, the Mate RS may be too hot to put in your pocket after playing games in warm ambient temperatures.

Our test device’s poor thermals are reflected in its performance in GFXBench battery tests too. Frame rates dropped by 50% in the complex Manhattan benchmark after 30 runs of it in a loop, which represents significant thermal throttling. That degree of throttling is awful for a device at any price, especially for a device that costs more than 1,500 Euros (~$1,728).

By contrast, the Mate RS is pleasantly cool at idle. We experienced no heat spikes during testing with the device idling.

Max. Load
 48.3 °C
119 F
46.1 °C
115 F
43.3 °C
110 F
 
 47.1 °C
117 F
45.3 °C
114 F
45.1 °C
113 F
 
 45.3 °C
114 F
45.2 °C
113 F
42.7 °C
109 F
 
Maximum: 48.3 °C = 119 F
Average: 45.4 °C = 114 F
38.1 °C
101 F
42 °C
108 F
47.6 °C
118 F
38.6 °C
101 F
42.1 °C
108 F
44.8 °C
113 F
38.8 °C
102 F
42 °C
108 F
43.2 °C
110 F
Maximum: 47.6 °C = 118 F
Average: 41.9 °C = 107 F
Power Supply (max.)  43 °C = 109 F | Room Temperature 21.6 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 45.4 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 32.8 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.3 °C / 119 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 47.6 °C / 118 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.4 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Heat-map of the rear of the device under load
Heat-map of the rear of the device under load
Heat-map of the front of the device under load
Heat-map of the front of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

The Mate RS has stereo speakers: One on the underside of the device, with the earpiece acting as the other. The earpiece primarily reproduces high-pitch frequencies. The sound quality is akin to that of the Mate 10 Pro, but the Mate RS’ speakers have better low-mid tones, which results in a fuller overall sound. Audio remains clear at maximum volume too and without any distortion. In short, the Mate RS’ speakers are well suited for occasional audio playback.

The device has no 3.5 mm jack, leaving the USB Type-C port as the only source for wired audio. Fortunately, there is a USB Type-C to 3.5 mm adapter should you need to use it. Wired audio over the adapter sounds clean, while Bluetooth worked well throughout testing too.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.431.72535.230.33137.732.14036355037.737.46323.324.48021.922.510020.122.612518.428.71601938.920016.750.825015.554.531519.75540014.356.850013.856.663012.656.580012.754.2100012.357125011.55916001166.920001170.8250010.872315010.770.5400010.670.1500010.767.9630010.766.8800010.963.31000010.961.91250010.955.21600010.843.1SPL65.663.868.724.179.6N17.814.420.60.641median 12.3median 56.8median 44.6median 12.3median 60.3Delta4.58.82411.819.335.237.832.934.237.235.631.737.139.64028.327.927.32626.924.326.723.72433.420.941.220.951.919.551.218.560.317.55617.555.915.755.115.865.716.669.515.874.215.47715.574.91673.315.870.41670.816.373.116.372.916.273.516.468.816.455.828.684.41.154.7median 16.4median 65.72.210.8hearing rangehide median Pink NoisePorsche Design Huawei Mate RSHuawei Mate 10 Pro
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 60.3% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 60.3% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 60.3% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (118.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 86% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

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%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The Mate RS is a comparatively inefficient device. Our test device consumes a maximum of 11.5 W under sustained load, which is 30% higher than the average of Kirin 970 devices that we have tested. We suspect that Huawei and Porsche Design have tweaked the Mate RS’ power management to get greater performance from the Kirin 970 chipset than it manages in the Mate 10 Pro. However, the supposed gain is negligible in benchmarks and in games. Equally, the increased power consumption results in increased surface temperatures and worse performance under load. Overall, the companies have done a poor job at optimizing the Mate RS’ power usage.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.1 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1 / 2.7 / 3.8 Watt
Load midlight 5.9 / 11.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
4000 mAh
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
3540 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
4000 mAh
Apple iPhone XS
2658 mAh
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
4000 mAh
Average HiSilicon Kirin 970
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
28%
17%
41%
39%
20%
24%
Idle Minimum *
1
0.67
33%
0.9
10%
0.95
5%
0.85
15%
0.978 ?(0.67 - 1.4, n=8)
2%
Idle Average *
2.7
2.5
7%
1.9
30%
1.34
50%
1.15
57%
2.12 ?(1.15 - 2.7, n=8)
21%
Idle Maximum *
3.8
2.51
34%
3.7
3%
1.48
61%
1.23
68%
2.51 ?(1.23 - 4.3, n=8)
34%
Load Average *
5.9
4.3
27%
5.3
10%
4
32%
4.12
30%
5.01 ?(2.47 - 6.5, n=8)
15%
Load Maximum *
11.5
6.87
40%
7.6
34%
5.13
55%
8.42
27%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Mate RS has a 4,000 mAh battery, but our test device’s runtimes are only mediocre because of its high power consumption. The Galaxy Note 9 and Huawei Mate 10 Pro both last significantly longer in our battery life tests despite also having 4,000 mAh batteries. The Mate RS can only outlast our comparison devices that have smaller battery capacities. The iPhone XS averaged around 10% shorter runtimes than our comparison device, but it has a 1,342-mAh smaller battery.

Our test device lasted 11 h 23 m in our Wi-Fi test, which is passable, as is the 4 h 46 m that it lasted in our battery life under load test. Overall, the Mate RS should last a full workday, but with little battery life left at the end of it.

The included charger recharges our test device fully in under two hours thanks to Huawei quick charging.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
25h 53min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 23min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
12h 34min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 46min
Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS
4000 mAh
Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium
3540 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Note 9
4000 mAh
Apple iPhone XS
2658 mAh
Huawei Mate 10 Pro
4000 mAh
Battery Runtime
-21%
17%
-10%
24%
Reader / Idle
1553
1347
-13%
1687
9%
1442
-7%
1744
12%
H.264
754
520
-31%
896
19%
745
-1%
929
23%
WiFi v1.3
683
547
-20%
794
16%
570
-17%
818
20%
Load
286
235
-18%
354
24%
245
-14%
398
39%

Pros

+ elegant design
+ stable and robust
+ good system performance
+ plenty of storage and RAM
+ high-end performance
+ good battery life
+ numerous accessories
+ excellent cameras
+ fast LTE
+ decent speakers

Cons

- extremely expensive
- inaccurate GPS
- the device gets hot
- severe throttling under load
- PWM display flicker
- no 60 FPS gaming
- high power consumption

Verdict

In review: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS. Test device courtesy of Huawei Germany.
In review: Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS. Test device courtesy of Huawei Germany.

The Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS stands out as the ultimate luxury smartphone and is even pricier than the iPhone XS or XS Max. The Mate RS’ in-display fingerprint sensor, plentiful memory and great cameras try to justify the device’s ludicrous pricing. However, the device borrows its triple camera system synonymous of the P20 Pro, and its in-screen fingerprint sensor lacks the accuracy of its traditional sensor.

The Mate RS looks smart with its sturdy and durable case. Likewise, performance is on par with other Kirin 970-powered devices. With that said, the device has too many weaknesses for its price. Our test device gets uncomfortably hot under load and thermal throttles heavily. Power consumption is high too, which contributes to comparatively weak battery life. Moreover, image stabilization does not work with 4K videos and the GPS is often inaccurate.

The Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS cannot meet the lofty expectations that its absurd pricing sets.

There are plenty of flagships that are better value for money than the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS. However, few have the same degree of luxury and prestige as the Porsche Design branding affords.

Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS - 10/16/2018 v6 (old)
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
92%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
97%
Connectivity
51 / 60 → 84%
Weight
90%
Battery
94%
Display
90%
Games Performance
47 / 63 → 75%
Application Performance
68 / 70 → 97%
Temperature
84%
Noise
100%
Camera
97%
Average
81%
90%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS Smartphone Review
Florian Schmitt, 2018-10-18 (Update: 2024-08-15)