The Huawei Mate 40 series was announced globally last month along with other premium accessories. While we are still waiting for the official launch here in the Philippines, let us share with you our Unboxing and First Impressions of the Huawei Mate 40 Pro! Yes folks! After years of prodding Huawei to loan us a review unit of the Mate, we finally get to have an evaluation unit and we are so stoked to review possibly one of the best flagship phones of the year.
HUAWEI MATE 40 PRO SPECS:
| OS: | Android 10 with EMUI 11 |
|---|---|
| Processor: | Huawei Kirin 9000 5G 3.13 GHz Octa-Core processor | MALI-G78 |
| Display: | 2772 x 1344 6.76" Full HD+ OLED with 90Hz refresh rate |
| Wireless Connections: | 5G, Bluetooth 5.2, WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, NFC, A-GPS, GLONASS, IR |
| Memory: | 256GB Internal Storage expandable with a Nano Memory Card up to 256GB, 8GB RAM |
| Connectors: | Type-C USB 3.1, On-the-Go |
| Cameras: | 50 Megapixels f/1.9 wide, 12 Megapixels f/3.4 periscope telephoto 5x zoom, 20 Megapixels f/1.8 ultra-wide (Main) 13 Megapixels f/2.4, TOF 3D (Front) |
| SIM Card Slots: | 2x Nano SIM Card (Hybrid) |
| Battery: | 4,400 mAh |
| SRP: | TBA |
THE UNBOXING
Usually, Huawei’s premium products like the P-series phones, Mate-series laptops and tablets have white boxes. The Mate-series phones are colored black, signifying that it is the flagship series of the global tech giant.
Inside the box are the Huawei Mate 40 Pro, Type-C USB Cable, 65W USB Charger, Type-C USB earphones, Silicon Case, SIM Card ejector and User Manuals.
HUAWEI MATE 40 PRO FIRST IMPRESSIONS
First thing I noticed about the Mate 40 Pro is its size and weight. I was so used to my Huawei P40 Pro so I immediately felt that the newer phone is slightly bigger and a tad heavier. I welcome these differences since first, I prefer a bigger phone and second, it wasn’t heavy enough to pull my pants down (my current problem with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2.)
Some users are against phones with curved edged screen because either they tend to accidentally touch other parts of the screen or more prone to damages when dropped. Personally, I am not bothered at all and I am really liking the Mate 40 Pro’s 88° Horizon Curvature Display. Unlike the P40 Pro, I am not able to see the any bezels on its sides at all. It looks oh so gorgeous, I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
Huawei still managed to place the power button and volume controls near the back panel. Amazing!
At the bottom are the SIM card tray, USB Type-C port and stereo speakers. The Mate 40 Pro can accommodate 2x Nano SIM cards and if you need to use extra storage, the 2nd Nano SIM card has to be removed in place of a Nano Memory Card.
The back panel is made of glass and the color I received is black which thankfully doesn’t look boring. It glass back panel is like a mirror and I guess you can even take a selfie with its quad-cameras arranged in its Space Ring module. It reminds me of the Nokia Lumia 1020‘s large circular camera module back in 2013.
As much as I want to use the Mate 40 Pro “naked”, I’d rather use the silicon case that came with the package. This year alone I broke two back glass panels of two flagship phones and definitely I don’t have any plans of making the Mate 40 Pro as the third victim. The phone is slippery to hold and at the same time is a dust and fingerprint magnet. I’ll purchase a third party case as soon as it becomes available.
Another thing I am excited to test with the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is its cameras. For years, Leica has co-engineered the Mate series’ cameras which continued to produce stunning photos. I am still getting acquainted with the Mate 40 Pro’s cameras, but for the meantime, here are some sample photos:
We’ll be doing some more tests on the Mate 40 Pro in the next few days. Be sure to lock in to this blog for the official launch of the Huawei Mate 40 Pro! Click here for more info about the Mate 40 Series.
