Huawei: Mate 10’s processor is stronger and faster than Apple’s new iPhones

Chinese powerhouse Huawei makes smartphones, smartwatches and the hardware that powers mobile phone networks around the world.

On 16 October, in Munich, the company revealed its latest high-end mobile, the Mate 10.

Get past the branding, both of the company’s name which can sound like you’ve sneezed (Hwah-way!), and the idea that the phone in your pocket can be considered your mate, and you find a capable, glossy handset from a manufacturer reaching its greatest level of confidence.

Like Google, which recently announced its Pixel 2 handset, Huawei is betting the farm on artificial intelligence (AI) with a powerful processor, called the Kirin 970. It boasts eight cores and a neural processing unit (NPU).

Richard Yu, CEO of the company’s Consumer Business Group, told me how strongly he feels about the company’s future. “Maybe I’m not so humble, but we can definitely be the best.”

But, I said, there are some countries, most notably the States, which are cautious about letting Huawei in. Senior US lawmakers view Huawei as not trustworthy enough to supply network infrastructure, as potentially a part of the Chinese government, though Huawei is quick to deny this. So far, it’s meant that US networks have resisted carrying Huawei phones. Does Mr Yu worry about that?

“Actually, we could be number one without cracking the US market. But the thing is, the people in the USA deserve better phones! Our aim is to be the best or nothing. So, we should be the best.”

So, the Mate 10 is pretty powerful, then? “Our processor is much stronger than the A11 Bionic which Apple has just released in its latest iPhones. We have more than double the performance power,” Yu claims.

Anyway, what about the handset?

Well, there are three of them: Mate 10, Mate 10 Pro and a special Porsche Design edition.

All are smooth, slick mobiles with big, bright displays that feel great in the hand. The subtly enhanced styling of the Porsche Design model is especially successful, though all look great. A wide stripe in a subtly contrasting colour surrounding the cameras on the phone’s glass back add a distinctive look that works well.

The regular Mate 10 has a 5.9-inch display in a 16:9 screen ratio, capable of displaying HDR video.

There are twin rear cameras which sit flush with the phone’s back and follow Huawei’s previous technique of matching a monochrome sensor (20 megapixels) with a 12-megapixel sensor that captures colour. Both are coengineered with Leica.

There’s a fingerprint sensor below the cameras on the back of the phone which is noticeably lower in the hope that you won’t smudge the lenses when you’re looking for it. The Pro version is water-resistant, too and has a slightly larger display (6 inches) that covers almost the entire front of the phone with a longer, thinner screen ratio of 18:9.

Both phones have big, powerful batteries which last well and charge fast. The phones are out soon—Mate 10 later this month, others to follow in November. THE INDEPENDENT