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In the past, when Apple and Samsung were facing challenges from Huawei, any unveiling of Huawei's flagship models was noteworthy. Huawei nearly became the leading smartphone manufacturer globally. They released the innovative Mate series towards the year's end and the camera-centric "P" series early in the year.
In 2019, the U.S. expressed deep national security concerns regarding Huawei, severely impacting the company. Nonetheless, Huawei persisted, creating its HarmonyOS and the Huawei Mobile Services ecosystem. Now, after a brief hiatus due to chip shortages, Huawei is back to its regular launch schedule, introducing the P50 line in summer 2021 and the Mate 50 series in 2022.
The key question is: can the Huawei Mate 60 Pro live up to its predecessor's reputation?
Huawei recently introduced the Mate 60 Pro, following the P60 series launch in March. The Mate 50 Pro, despite its 5G connectivity requiring a special cover, was a hit in China. The U.S.'s apprehensions about Huawei remain, but focusing on the Mate 60 Pro, how does it compare to the earlier version?
A look at the specs reveals a 6.82-inch LTPO OLED screen with a 1260 x 2720 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The phone incorporates Huawei's Kunlun Glass, with the Mate 60 Pro featuring its second version. The display houses three punch holes, one for the selfie camera and the others for 3D face recognition features.
The back features a trio of cameras: a 50MP primary camera with OIS and a variable aperture, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 48MP telephoto camera. Powering the device is a 5000mAh battery that supports rapid wired and wireless charging.
It offers 12GB RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Presently, only the 512GB variant is up for pre-order on the VMALL online store, priced at CNY 6,999 ($960.33 as per current rates). Notably, the Mate 60 Pro introduces satellite call capabilities, currently exclusive to China Telecom subscribers.
This means Mate 60 Pro users can make real calls in no-network zones, unlike the iPhone 14 series that limits to emergency SMS. While currently only available to China Telecom subscribers, this service might expand to other carriers.
Digital Chat Station on Weibo suggests the Mate 60 Pro uses an in-house Kirin processor with a unique 1+3+4 core arrangement. Huawei hasn't confirmed the chipset details, but it likely combines efficient and performance cores, and features a "Maleoon 910" GPU.
The Mate 60 Pro is the first to sport the HarmonyOS 4.0. Available in four dual-tone colors, the device's upper portion in White and Green is made of glass, while Purple and Black versions use faux leather. As of now, Huawei has no plans to release the Mate 60 Pro internationally.