It was a phone with everything but the kitchen sink (or, well, a headphone jack).
But Ive been reviewing phones long enough to know the experience tends to dampen over time.
The phone slows down, the camera isnt actually all the great, or the battery starts draining rapidly.
Im pleased to report the Mate 20 Pro is not one of those phones.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
That aside, lets recap the impressive spec list:
Again, its packed to the brim with features.
Even then, the Mate 20 Pros combination of specifications is unique.
Other than the missing headphone jack, this phone has the hardware to satisfy almost any power user.
Somehow Huawei managed to fit all of these features into a relatively svelte and attractive smartphone.
It feels every bit the premium phone.
And I really dig the red power button.
Rounding out the exterior, the display is good, although nothing remarkable for a flagship.
Its not quite as good as Samsungs panels, but I doubt anyone will have major complaints.
The phone also has decent sound to accompany the screen.
Huawei has a neat trick for its bottom speaker: its hidden within the USB-C port.
Youll just have to be a bit careful to not cover up the port with your palm.
This may seem like a gimmick, but I honestly think its rather handy.
Say youre having dinner with a friend whose phone is running low.
Its not something I used often, but when I did, I was grateful it was there.
Of course, it helps that Huawei includes a massive 4,200 mAh battery.
Getting seven to eight hours of screen on time was a common occurrence.
When the battery did die on me, it was usually because I hadnt bothered to charge overnight.
Im similarly impressed with the phones software performance, although not particularly surprised.
The Mate 20 Pro is no different.
The Kirin 980 felt fast from day one, and I have not experienced any significant slow down since.
But at the same time, I appreciate many of the features not available on stock Android.
Another instance of Huawei having more features than it needs: biometric security.
You get a Face ID-like form of facial recognition as well as an in-display fingerprint reader.
It may not sound like much, but its just enough to make the experience feel a little clumsy.
So instead, Id recommend you pick the method you prefer and stick to it.
This also feels clumsy, but can thankfully be disabled from configs.
Then theres the camera.
The Mate 20 Pro has, bar none, the most advanced hardware on any smartphone camera.
Its software is pretty darned good too.
This is amuchmore useful arrangement.
That makes it one of a handful of phones that can seamlessly switch between ultra-wide panoramas and telephoto shots.
Its the most versatile lens setup on any smartphone.
LGs V40 can almost compete on versatility, but suffers for having a much smaller primary sensor.
But despite all this…
I still prefer shooting on my Pixel.
As has been the case for some time, Huaweis processing is just too aggressive.
Noise reduction is too heavy, and images are over-sharpened.
How much that matters to you will be a matter of preference.
Theres also just no competition for Googles Night Sight.
While Huaweis own night mode can produce excellent results, it doesnt have the point-and-shoot consistency of Googles feature.
As it stands, which camera is actually better is a matter of preference.
In this respect, I choose Google.
Despite my annoyances with Huaweis image processing, theres no phone as versatile as the Mate 20 Pro.
Four months later, I think its still the closest thing to a perfect phone on the market.
This post includes affiliate links to products that you’ve got the option to buy online.
If you purchase them through our links, we get a small cut of the revenue.
Also tagged with
