back to article Huawei Mate 10 Pro: The unfashionable estate car wants to go to town

The Mate is Huawei's phablet range, but Huawei has traditionally taken a different approach from Samsung with its Note. The Note was an upmarket Jag and the Mate was what Americans call a station wagon, and what we call an estate: a dependable, but never fashionable, workhorse. While flagships got thinner, more beautiful and …

  1. Turgut Kalfaoglu

    Huawei makes excellent phones!

    I'm still on my first Huawei. A mate 9, several years after it came out.. I'm still using it because it works great. Despite my rooting and fidding with everything possible afterwards. I'm sold on Huawei phones.

    1. CrazyOldCatMan Silver badge

      Re: Huawei makes excellent phones!

      Yes - but does it blend?

      (It's old meme month now, get your special two-for-one memes here! Come get 'em while they are still sort-of-warm!)

      1. Graham Dawson Silver badge

        Re: Huawei makes excellent phones!

        Mate smoke, don't breathe this!

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Why is it...

    ...when I think of Station Wagon, I think of something like this:

    https://ixquick-proxy.com/do/spg/show_picture.pl?l=english&rais=1&oiu=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.digitalmomblog.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F10%2Fstation-wagon-comeback.jpg&sp=d4c4c056e6f16f926a9e96d57293455b

    1. Francis Boyle Silver badge

      Yeah, that's a station wagon

      and it's probably full of tapes.

    2. mantavani

      Re: Why is it...

      Me too. I also see Chevy Chase driving it.

  3. James 51

    I like stuff like keyboards and stylus on my phones. You can't really say it's going up against the note 8 without something like that. The S8 plus would be a better comparasion.

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      For sure, for some users. Other users were attracted to the Note range for reasons other than the stylus, such as SD card slot. It's interesting that no other vendor sells a phone based on good stylus support.

      For keyboards, the Qwerty Moto Mod keyboard looks interesting, and IMHO a detachable keyboard makes more sense for a phone than a permanently attached one. (If keyboard develops a fault it can be swapped out, phone vice versa, keyboard can be used on the train but then left in your bag when you go to the pub).

    2. Salestard

      Except the S8+ is more of a big phone than a phablet.

      Finally approaching the end of my Lumia 950 contract (the phone basically gave up about six months ago, and is currently experiencing constant reboots for no apparent reason).

      S8+ is a contender, although the elongated shape seems odd to me.

      Huawei is also in with a shout - we sell the big Huawei infrastructure kit here, so occasionally can scrounge consumer stuff. My boss has the previous Mate 10 - it's a monster thing, no mistake, but I'm rather taken with it.

      1. Christopher Rogers

        The S8+ quickly feels normal and sensible (if you are after a bigger phone, which i was).

        1. Danny 14

          rooted note 3 here. on ots second battery and a 128gb card in the slot. looking for another 128gb+ so this might do me.

  4. Dave 126 Silver badge

    Using 18:9 instead of 2:1...

    ...makes sense because it clearly communicates that the screen is just a smidge taller (in portrait orientation, obviously) than the 16:9 screens that most users will be using for reference.

    That said, with a variety of aspect ratios it is the expression of screen *size* by the diagonal measurement that is less helpful - being told the width of the screen and phone gives a clearer idea of the phone's size (with respect to thumb reach and pocket-friendliness.)

    1. ThatOne Silver badge
      Coat

      Re: Using 18:9 instead of 2:1...

      > ...makes sense because it clearly communicates that the screen is just a smidge taller

      No, it's just basic marketing. Look at those two statements, and think about which one feels more glamorous:

      - Screen ratio 2:1

      - Screen ratio 18:9

      Obviously the second feels better, richer. Bigger is always better, who would want a tiny 2:1 screen?...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Using 18:9 instead of 2:1...

        It more clearly communicates it because people are used to 16:9 video.

        It means that you should be able to watch 16:9 video using the full phone width without using a full screen mode.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I wish the writer had dug into this just a little more..

    Huawei are moving to a "premium" offering, but they are still selling their quality-low-cost phones but just under the "Honor" brand.. In fact, if the Author had dug a little further, it looks like they are releasing 2 new phone today (at an event in London) called the 7X and V10 -

    http://www.hihonor.com/global/maxyourview/index.html

    https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_v10-8938.php

    https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_honor_7x-8880.php

    I really like the look of the V10, but having fingerprinter reader on the front is a no-no for me.

    1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      Re: I wish the writer had dug into this just a little more..

      I believe the long-term review of the Honor came out yesterday, from the same author.

    2. Andrew Orlowski (Written by Reg staff)

      Re: I wish the writer had dug into this just a little more..

      They're for India and China. Yes, a London launch but no UK press.

      Let me know when you have finished digging.

  6. Tromos
    Joke

    18:9 displays are 10 a penny these days...

    ...I'm holding on for 36:18.

    1. Michael Habel

      Re: 18:9 displays are 10 a penny these days...

      Which is still just a 2:1 ratio, at the end of the day.

      1. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

        Re: 18:9 displays are 10 a penny these days...

        Yeah. But this one... Goes up to eleven...

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 18:9 displays are 10 a penny these days...

        "Which is still just a 2:1 ratio, at the end of the day."

        ...er, that's the point the joke was making in the first place.

        1. Danny 14

          Re: 18:9 displays are 10 a penny these days...

          the vulcan side of me found it 62% humorous.

  7. Khaptain Silver badge

    Instant Fail

    "The M10P uses Huawei's proprietary charger"

    I have a 9 and I love it, the Standard USB C 2 amp charger gets it charged up pretty damned .

    But anything that mentions "proprietary" quickly becomes a PITA... It usually involves having to buy at least 2..... One for home you get that included, but then another for work and another for travel.. AAaaagggghhhh.

    If it is not standard, forget it. I already have bags full of old proprietary chargers and I refuse to return to anything non standard.....( Shame that laptop manufacturer never understood that either)

    1. Lysenko

      Re: Instant Fail

      Instant Fail

      "The M10P uses Huawei's proprietary charger"

      I have a 9 and I love it, the Standard USB C 2 amp charger gets it charged up pretty damned .

      But anything that mentions "proprietary" quickly becomes a PITA...

      It's only proprietary in respect of the fast charge feature. It will still charge just fine over conventional 5V USB C, but with its own charger it can ramp up to 9V and double the wattage.

      1. Khaptain Silver badge

        Re: Instant Fail

        Ok I see, you mean it's just the wall plug that is different ?

        1. Lysenko

          Re: Instant Fail

          Yes. When using a Huawei charger the phone can negotiate the charging voltage over the USB data lines thus nearly doubling the power transfer from 10W (5Vx2A) to 18W (9Vx2A). A conventional charger (or data cable) won't respond to the negotiation sequence so charging will proceed at 5V as normal. The same applies if you plug in a wireless charging dongle.

    2. Cuddles

      Re: Instant Fail

      "But anything that mentions "proprietary" quickly becomes a PITA... It usually involves having to buy at least 2"

      It depends exactly what is meant by "proprietary". My Lenovo has a supposedly proprietary charger, but what that actually means is it works perfectly well with any standard USB charger, but can use it's proprietary fast-charge thingy if you use the proprietary charger. Oddly enough, one of the two fast-charge modes seems to have identical specs to Qualcom's version and works with those chargers as well. Wiki suggests the Mate 10 has a regular USB-C 3.1 socket, so I assume it's in the same boat - it will work with any charger (or data cable), but you might get some small benefit if you use the one they provide.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Price failure

    The Mate 10 Pro looks good and has a nice feature set, but with the OnePlus 5T priced at £500, it's got no chance. Shame really.

    1. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Price failure

      It depends on how much the Mate's better camera and waterproofing are worth to you, I guess. On the other hand, OnePlus's version of Android looks to be better than Huawai's.

  9. djstardust

    Close but no cigar .....

    No wireless charging (very handy during the day)

    No SD slot

    No headphone jack

    1. Michael Habel

      Re: Close but no cigar .....

      1) Extra cost

      2) Who needs a crappy SD Card when you have a 128GBs of built in storage

      3 It's current year, and it's time for you to step up your Bluetooth game

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Close but no cigar .....

        I can do without 1 and 2, but not having a standard physical headphone port is just annoying.

        Using Bluetooth as a replacement is crap. A wireless connection isn't as reliable as a wired one, especially when there are forty other people in the same tube carriage also trying to use the bluetooth waveband for their headphones. Having to separately charge your headphones is a faff that I can do without as well.

        Plugging in wired headphones to an adapter that fits into the phone's USB port can offer better sound (if the adaptor uses a quality DAC) but its still an additional thing to get lost or broken, which is a consideration in a device that's, well, mobile. It usually means you can't charge the phone at the same time as listening to audio. Overall this isn't progress either.

        Newer doesn't necessarily mean better.

      2. teknopaul

        Re: Close but no cigar .....

        Bluetooth is only a "step up" if you drink Apple cool aid.

        Lower audio quality, two batteries to run out on you, non-standard.

        Of course to Apple that reads...

        Requires marketing, built-in obsolescence, brand loyalty.

        1. This post has been deleted by its author

        2. FreddDagg01
          Big Brother

          Re: Close but no cigar .....

          No SD card isn't just bluetooth headsets. It's also selling "the cloud".

          Need 5 more gig to take these Xmas snaps? Just put you thumb there to authorise another tenner, per month. Than you ve much. (With Del Boy or Arthur Daily accent as you wish).

          Always on, always connected and always available for snooping, I mean marketing ... I mean monetising of your data. But ... it's not really your data any more when it's in the cloud. You made it, you uploaded it, but now you rent it.

          I think in about 2 years iTunes will no longer manage any media locally. iPhoto et al will just organise and tag your snaps in the iCloud. The big players in Andriod would love the same, but with so much competition at the low end, the transition will be longer.

        3. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge

          Re: Close but no cigar .....

          I don't know where in the chain the problem is, but listening to music from my phone over a bluetooth connection on my car stereo is a terrible experience. It sounds awful compared to the same files read directly by the stereo from a USB flash drive.

      3. ChrisC Silver badge

        Re: Close but no cigar .....

        1. Additional cost is more relevant on devices aimed at the price-conscious end of the market. For a device like this where the price is already high enough to push it more into the "don't give a crap how much it costs, just remind me what it can do" end of the market, omitting a feature present on several of its rivals may cause it to be dismissed.

        2. Gobs of internal storage is great, but you do need to be damn careful with your data backup strategy to avoid losing it all when (not if) something causes you to lose the ability to read from the internal storage. At times like that, you really appreciate the ability to simply pop out the SD card from your non-responsive device and access its data via any other SD-capable device instead...

        So I'd prefer to have the right balance of enough internal memory to cope with 3-4 yearsworth of OS updates, app installs/upgrades, log files, caches etc, PLUS the option of using a SD card to cope with stuff I'd want to be able to easily recover (photos, documents etc.) in the event of a device error.

        Also, for a device like this with a large screen and decent audio capabilities, some people may want to use it to view media generated on SD cards by other devices (e.g. dashcams) rather than relying on the less capable UI provided by those devices.

        3. I already carry around a perfectly decent set of Sennheiser wired earbuds, which I can use directly with my work PC, my home PC, my iPod and my current phone. Having just shelled out *HOW MUCH* on a new handset, I really wouldn't feel too happy about then having to shell out even more on a USB/3.5mm adapter or something BT-enabled just to be compatible with this one device.

        At some point in the future (near or far I wouldn't like to say, just somewhere out there) the critical mass of wireless head/earphones will be high enough to make the 3.5mm socket an irrelevance for most people, but right now I guarantee you that most handset/phablet owners will NOT also own wireless head/earphones, but WILL own at least one set of perfectly useable wired phones, and in many cases would very much like to continue using them with their new devices.

      4. David Nash Silver badge

        Re: Close but no cigar .....

        Who needs a crappy SD Card when you have a 128GBs of built in storage

        It's 2017 and people still make this kind of comment? I am old enough to remember 640K being enough for anyone.

        You can *never* have enough storage, it seems.

        Also, Bluetooth is an option but not always what you want, plus has its own battery charging demands so wired headphones should always be there.

    2. Shadow Systems

      Re: Close but no cigar .....

      Thank you for mentioning that. TFA didn't *say* so & pictures mean SFA to a screen reader.

      I echo the feeling that no headphone jack, no SD card slot, no sale.

      *Sigh*

      Nothing to see here, please move along...

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Close but no cigar .....

      "No headphone jack"

      Poxy iPhones, Mate 10 Pros, we don't want them back,

      I'd rather jack.

  10. Michael Strorm Silver badge

    "While flagships got thinner, more beautiful and glassy-eyed each year, the Mate didn't care – it just wanted to haul around the more practical stuff for you. [..] The regular Mate 10 hews to the station wagon formula, but its swankier sibling the Mate 10 Pro seems to have acquired Note envy."

    Does it strike anyone as else ironic that they're using the "Pro" designation on the poser-oriented version rather than the substance-over-style, workhorse original an actual professional would be better off with?

    (And yes, I know the term is frequently misused as marketing fluff, but this case highlights the absurdity of it).

  11. Defiant

    Wrong

    European version doesn't have dual SIM slots

    1. The other JJ

      Re: Wrong

      Call me a cynic but one starts to think the networks put pressure on the manufacturers to not make dual SIM available in certain regions, the UK in particular. I desperately wanted a Huawei P8 Lite (2017) (to keep up with my daughter who had one) but needed dual SIM and the best I could find was import from Germany or Spain at a £40 premium, so faced with the lack of warranty backing I bought a Xaomi RedMi 4X direct from China for less than the single SIM version instead.

  12. WallMeerkat

    Surely a sporty estate car would be something like a Volvo 850R, which was taken to touring car racing?

  13. pyite42

    Nova Launcher

    I have a Mate 8 (Nougat) and the Nova launcher works fairly well -- I gave up on EMUI.

    This mule is the best phone ever - I only have to charge it every couple of days. The only drawback of this phone was the decision to stick with USB2, it takes awhile to copy videos.

  14. ThatOne Silver badge
    Meh

    Still inferior to the Note (to me)

    I don't think it compares to the Samsung Note. For me the most important thing on the Notes is the stylus: I use it all the time, and can't imagine buying a phone without a stylus anymore. (Which leaves me with a rather small choice of phones...)

    Now I expect people to jump in to tell they never ever use the stylus, but that won't change the fact that many Note users bought a Note specifically for the stylus: Just in my small family circle there are 3 who did. Yes, doodling stuff, making quick drawings to explain something in the field, taking quick handwritten notes (shorthand!), or just being able to use the on-screen keyboard despite fat fingers... I also use it to unlock the phone, since it doesn't leave tell-tale fingerprints on the glass... ;-)

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Price...

    It never ceases to amaze me that people will pay this kind of money for a phone.

    1. Michael Habel

      Re: Price...

      Hell you'd only be so lucky just to pay that over the course of a Two Year Contract. In most cases you probably could get away with buying Three.

      1. Alistair
        Windows

        Re: Price...

        @ Michael H:

        Three the company, or three phones?

    2. Dave559 Silver badge

      Re: Price...

      I agree: if you’d said to me 10 years ago that many of us would now be spending £200 or more on a phone (or even £30 - £50 or in some cases even more on a contract (SIM only FTW, BTW), I’d have been astonished.

      But, on the other hand, we are now in the strange situation where, unless you go for MacBook levels of expense, phones now have more CPU cores, far better battery life and, perhaps most bizarrely, considerably better screen resolution than the average laptop. I’d love an affordable laptop that equals the specs of contemporary mobile phones, but, no, rubbishy baseline-HD screens and meagre 4 hour battery life it is for the most part, sadly.

  16. Youngone Silver badge
    Pint

    Come on, someone ask the important question !!!

    Is that Dead Pony Club pale ale any good?

  17. Sorry that handle is already taken. Silver badge
    Stop

    1.6/27 ASPH

    That lens doesn't look like it's >17mm across.

  18. Sssss

    Work phone.

    Ok, let's get down to brass tacks. What encoder, data rate, frame rate, and pixel format does it use? If you want to do video journalism or other video related work, most phones are woeful for this. But in these sorts of reviews the video camera statistics are left off, but this is one of the biggest areas of workhorse improvements left. 10-12 bits 4:2:2 200mb/s+ h264 are more quality settings, instead we are fortunate to get 100mb/s. If you look at the sample photos from GSMarena, you see smudged details in low light shots (a real journalistic credentials test). (LG and LG made pixel phone tends to do best, but still far from the more useful spec quoted). Dual hot swappable storage cards are best too.

    Work horse, bah.

  19. Alias6023

    Great review. Very accurate

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