Earlier today, Huawei unveiled the long-awaited P20 lineup. However, the much-anticipated Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Pro were also accompanied by an intruder, namely the premium Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS phablet. More than just being a Huawei P20 Pro on steroids, the Mate RS is the first handset to ever hit the market with 512 GB internal storage and microcapsule PCM cooling.
The list of specs shared by the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS and the Huawei P20 Pro includes the HiSilicon Kirin 970 processor and 6 GB RAM, the triple camera setup on the back (40 MP RGB + 20 MP monochrome + 8 MP telephoto) and the generous 24 MP selfie camera, and the 4,000 mAh battery. On the other hand, only the Mate RS comes with a 6-inch curved 2K display that integrates a fingerprint reader, quick wireless charging (the first Huawei phone to employ this technology), 256 GB or 512 GB internal storage, as well as microcapsule PCM cooling — a technology used in the aerospace industry that Huawei is now bringing to the smartphone market for the first time. Sadly, there is no microSD slot or 3.5 mm audio jack.
The Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS comes loaded with EMUI 8.1 based on Android 8.1 Oreo and includes a wide range of AI-assisted capabilities, mainly in the camera department. For example, the Mate RS and the P20 series handsets come with 4D predictive focus and can identify over 500 photo scenarios in 19 categories.
This premium device comes in black and red, but the latter is only available in mainland China. The price depends on the area, but the 512 GB version costs almost 2,100 EUR in Europe, so other markets should expect similar prices as well. Those looking for a better deal could grab the 256 GB variant, which retails for 400 EUR less.