Huawei this week unveiled its latest and greatest smartphone, the Mate 40 Pro, which, as we come to expect from the firm, is brimming with cutting-edge new features. The latest Huawei handset boasts an 88° Horizon Display which curves around the sides of the device, an upgraded camera, fast wired charging, and one of the speediest wireless charging speeds we’ve ever seen on a smartphone.
Spin around the Mate 40 Pro, you’ll find a unique Space Ring Design for the cameras (basically, it looks like a big circle). Huawei has included the usual main, ultra-wide, and telephoto options. According to the company, the latest in the Mate series now has better low-light performance and can get closer to the action thanks to its 50X optical zoom.
If you like shooting movies, you’ll also be treated to smoother images thanks to its Steady Shot image-stabilisation technology, while a new Story Creator mode should make it simple to produce mini masterpieces.
Other features worth a mention include an improved selfie camera, which now supports 4K plus there’s a powerful Kirin 9000 processor. The latter uses the same revolutionary 5nm process as Apple’s A14 Bionic, which is found inside the iPhone 12, and should produce similar lightning-quick speeds and battery life gains.
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Like the vast majority of Huawei smartphones, the Mate 40 Pro is fully 5G ready and comes packed with 8GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage.
You’ll also find a 4,300mAh which can be fast charger via a 66W wired connection or 50W wireless refill, which is hugely impressive. As an example, Apple’s new MagSafe charger only offers 15W charging – and the company only sells an 18W option for wired charging speeds!
One final party trick is the new Smart Gesture Control, which allows total hands-free control of the device. Simply hover your hand over the Mate 40 Pro to wake it up or navigate your phone by swiping left, right, up and down. There’s even an air press gesture for call answering.
The screen also stays off until you stare at it with Huawei’s Eyes on Display technology lighting things up without you touching the glass.
Speaking about the phone, Richard Yu, Executive Director and CEO of Huawei Consumer BG said: “Each year the HUAWEI Mate Series brings the most exciting technology together into one stunning package. This is what defines the Mate Series DNA and is all made possible by our dedication to innovation. In these unprecedented times, we remain committed to creating a better future, with innovative technology that delivers a positive and meaningful impact on the lives of consumers. In the future, we will continue working closely with our partners to bring the Seamless AI Life experience to consumers all around the world.”
There’s clearly plenty to like about the Mate 40 Pro, but don’t forget that it still ships without those all-important Google apps, like Google Maps, Gmail, YouTube, Google Photos as well as the Google Play Store, which offers ebook downloads, movie rentals, and access to millions of third-party apps, including Facebook, Snapchat, Kindle, and more.
Yes, Huawei has got its App Gallery and Petal Search options for finding the latest applications but is this enough to convince you to live a Google-free life. Only you can decide but if not having those popular apps doesn’t concern you then the Mate 40 Pro is available soon in two colours and costs £1,099.