Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsSuper fast, insane battery, and class leading camera! (and beautiful design)
Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2018
Where do I begin with how well rounded and as close to perfect you can get that this phone is? Everyone has their preferences – some people want a great camera, some a big easy to read screen, and others it may be long battery life. For me, I love to travel and the two most important features were battery life and the camera. With a 4,000 mAh battery and an in-house manufactured Kirin 970 processor, the battery life is insane. Of course, it’s a lot like cars and fuel mileage; how you drive them and how you use them affects results. For me, heavy WhatsApp, medium camera and video use, and YouTube. I always get a full day of use with around 35% left over, and I consider myself a heavy user. Don’t just take it from me though, read reviews on the Mate 10 Pro and you’ll constantly see it’s battery is among its highest-rated attributes. The reason I mentioned the processor is that by utilizing their in-house System-on-a-chip (SOC), Huawei can better program the phone and processor to best use available resources and achieve amazing battery life.
Second, the camera. Wow! Again, check out how Huawei scored with their phones over at DxoMark, a prestigious camera ranking firm. They are not only #1 on the list but also have several phones in the top 10. I can’t always have my DSLR with me, so, I needed a phone which can achieve the best results from mobile photography I can find. And, if you’re into photography, you’ll know the Leica name. The dynamic range is superb, there are not any blown out highlights or over-sharpening, and details are clear. The camera app is stable with no crashes and shoots pictures at a very fast speed.
I’ve been using the phone case that came in the box and I don’t feel the need for an aftermarket. It’s clear, so it doesn’t hide how gorgeous the phone is, and isn’t slippery either. Another huge benefit is the integrated EMUI desktop mode. You only need to purchase an HDMI to type-c adapter (around $15), and you get a great desktop experience. Most all apps run full screen, and I hook up a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and run Word to do my schoolwork. I’ve even played some games (with a Bluetooth controller), and it’s an awesome mobile gaming rig when you’re at a hotel!
There are a couple of cons about the phone which are not extremely negative, but suggestions for Huawei. First, I work in an environment that is fairly loud most of the time. I can’t seem to find a ringtone that is loud enough for me always to hear it. I’m not sure if it a speaker issue, or that I’m going deaf. On that note, the vibration of the phone isn’t that strong. It’s definitely adequate, and I understand you don’t want something to vibrate so much that parts fly off, but, the unit could use some improvement in that area. The phone is “water-resistant” rated, so I understand why the concept of no expandable memory is there, but, there is a SIM tray so it shows it could be done. Also, I understand the idea behind the “cloud” so physical memory isn’t that important. However, when you’re away from signal on a hiking trip and recording gobs of 4k video, physical memory becomes important until you can upload it. 128GB is a great amount, but either offer 256GB and 512GB variants, or allow for expandable memory in the future.
Speaking of the future, this saddens me. Huawei makes a stunning and gorgeous phone with amazing performance and features, and because of “concerns” by the United States government, they have lobbied U.S. cell phone companies to not sell their products. To me, without proof, this is unfounded. Heck, the NSA probably spies on me more than a foreign country does. I fell in love with Huawei devices after I started using them with the Mate 9. However, I had to get an international version of the Mate 9 at the time and even though it worked in the U.S., it did not have all the LTE bands. I noticed when using the Mate 9, my signal would not always be the greatest and speeds were acceptable. Upon buying the Mate 10 Pro (which Huawei included U.S. bands for the market), I get all the bands, great reception, and ridicules LTE speeds. Huawei recently released a phone called the P20 Pro with a 40 MP sensor and three camera system. Co-engineered with Leica, it achieves stunning results and is not a marketing gimmick. I would do anything to have this device here in the U.S! Yes, I can buy the “international version”; however, it does not function as well as the phones tuned specifically for U.S. markets. Now, all I can do is a dream and hope Huawei will continue to try and break into the U.S. market with their exceptional products.
In closing, if you want a gorgeous phone that runs buttery smooth with no hiccups, takes breathtaking photos, has insane battery life, and is a great price – please please please consider buying this phone! I can not say how satisfied and happy I am I made this purchase! I just hope to have a U.S. version of the P20 Pro one day.
