Huawei Mate 9 camera takes on the best

At a launch in Munich this week, Huawei unveiled a smartphone that positions it alongside the market leaders in quality and performance

At a global launch event in Munich yesterday, Huawei Consumer Business Group unveiled two of the most anticipated devices of the year – the Huawei Mate 9 and the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9. Building on its growing reputation for well-designed, powerful mobile devices, it has focused strongly on the user experience, with a new Kirin 960 chip for fast computing performance.

“In developing the Huawei Mate 9, we started with a simple question – how can we improve every element of the smartphone experience?” said Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer Business Group. “We know that for today’s business users, a fast and functional smartphone is just the beginning. Consumers also want a gorgeous design and intuitive features, so we created two new devices at the forefront of hardware and software innovation. The result is a device that is breathtakingly new, inside and out.”

Initial tests show that the phone competes with both the Samsung S7 edge and the iPhone 7 in performance and quality. The screen quality and updated user interface provide a satisfying look and feel, while the battery life is far superior to most other flagship phones on the market.

Huawei provided the following information:

The HUAWEI Mate 9 features a dynamic interplay of industry-leading hardware and advanced software that work together to keep users a step ahead. Key features include:

• Kirin 960 chipset, the world’s highest performing smartphone processor
• EMUI 5.0, an intuitive user interface that streamlines the users’ experience with the OS
• SuperCharge technology that delivers a full day’s charge in 20 minutes
• Second generation Leica dual-lens camera with 12-megapixel RGB sensor, 20-megapixel monochrome sensor and Hybrid Zoom, featuring a superior 2x magnification

Maximized Performance and Speed with Kirin 960

With over 100 million units sold, Huawei’s Kirin chipsets showcase the company’s deep understanding of the kind of power and experience users are looking for – a fast mobile device that is intuitive and reliable. The Huawei Mate 9 Series debuts the premium Kirin 960 chipset with Huawei’s Machine Learning Algorithm to deliver a fast and smooth experience, even after 18 months of continuous usage.

The Kirin 960 is the world’s first chipset to feature an ARM Cortex-A73/A53 Octa-core CPU and Mali G71 Octa-core GPU. The CPU delivers the best multi-core performance among all smartphone SoCs, while reducing power consumption by 15 percent. The GPU boasts a 180 percent performance uplift and a 40 percent improvement in energy efficiency compared to its predecessor. The Kirin 960 also takes full advantage of the pioneering Vulkan graphics standard on Android 7.0, increasing graphics performance by up to 400 percent.

A Safe, Faster-Charging Battery

The Huawei Mate 9 combines a 4000 mAh high-density battery with Huawei’s all new SuperCharge technology. With its advanced power saving technology, the Huawei Mate 9 increases battery life to provide over two days of uninterrupted performance. This includes a 40 percent increase in CDMA call time and a 20 percent increase in gaming time.

Supporting 5A fast charging, SuperCharge technology enables a 50 percent improvement over the previous generation – 10 minutes of charge provides enough power to watch two full movies. Most importantly, the battery sets a new standard in charging technology including Super Safe 5-gate protection, which offers real-time voltage, current and temperature monitoring to eliminate safety hazards and safeguard battery life.

A New Standard for Professional-quality Smartphone Photography

Following the incredible success of the Huawei P9, the Huawei Mate 9 features the second generation dual-lens camera co-engineered with Leica. Huawei and Leica have continued to improve and enhance the optical performance of the camera module, which now includes a 12-megapixel/F2.2 RGB sensor, a 20-megapixel/F2.2 monochrome sensor and enhanced image fusion algorithms that work in concert to produce stunning photography.

The RGB sensor captures true-to-life colours, while the monochrome sensor captures intricate details and depth resulting in the iconic Leica Image Style. When paired with the leading dual-lens camera Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) solution and the industry’s first dual-camera pixel binning technology, the Huawei Mate 9 has a superior night shot capability. The Kirin 960 is designed specifically to support the Huawei Mate 9’s second generation Leica dual-lens camera with Hybrid Zoom. The 4-1 Hybrid Auto-focus features laser focus, phase detection focus, depth focus and contrast focus.

Performance in Design

The Huawei Mate 9 builds upon the Mate Series’ highly-regarded design DNA and uses the finest materials to deliver a smartphone that features a 5.9” FHD display and is both beautifully designed and comfortable to use. Based on an extensive process of research and development, the HUAWEI Mate 9 is constructed using 50 unique processes including one hour of CNC milling, resulting in a high-precision unibody metal frame. Every detail – from the soft sandblasted texture to the gorgeous colour palette – is a result of more than 25 years’ experience in delivering refined craftsmanship.

Design Icon Meets Technology Leader

The Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 is a limited edition smartphone combining Porsche Design’s signature brand aesthetic with Huawei’s mobile engineering expertise. Together Huawei and Porsche Design have achieved a new pinnacle where Porsche Design’s unique signature aesthetic meets Huawei’s market-leading technology. With the Porsche Design Huawei  Mate 9, Huawei introduces a remarkable 5.5” curved AMOLED display that offers a smooth, sleek feel. It will be available exclusively in Graphite Black. (See additional Porsche Design Huawei  Mate 9 details.)

The Android Experience Reimagined

With the introduction of EMUI 5.0, the Huawei Mate 9 reimagines the native Android operating system using Linux to improve the experience, aesthetics and functionality. With EMUI 5.0, the Huawei Mate 9 becomes more intelligent and efficient over time by understanding consumers’ behaviour patterns, and ensures the highest priority applications are given preference subject to system resources. This guarantees a long-lasting, smooth experience as over time, EMUI 5.0 slows down the performance erosion that all smartphone devices experience. EMUI 5.0 also introduces a brand new intuitive interface design. More than 50 percent of features can now be reached within two clicks while over 90 percent can be reached within three clicks.

Pricing and Availability

• The Huawei Mate 9 is available in Black, Space Grey, Moonlight Silver, Champagne Gold, Mocha Brown and Ceramic White.
• The exclusive Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9 is available in Graphite Black.
• The Huawei Mate 9 will be available in the following first-wave launch markets:

China

France

Germany

Italy

Japan

Kuwait

Malaysia

Poland

Saudi Arabia

Spain

Thailand

United Arab Emirates

Version                                 EUR (includes tax)

Huawei Consumer Business Group also launched the Huawei Fit, a fitness watch featuring heart rate monitoring, automatic step counting, sleep tracking and support for multi-sport activities. The Huawei Fit, provides comprehensive and customized running programs and offers real-time coaching; after a run the watch displays VO2 max, recovery time and a training score. It is the first wearable device to achieve the TÜV-WT reliability and accuracy certification.

The Huawei Fit is available in Titanium Grey and Moonlight Silver for €149 in the following first-wave launch markets: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and the United States.