Introducing the latest Huawei Mate50 Pro smartphone, featuring cutting-edge technology, sleek design, and a powerful camera. Image: Supplied.
Review: Huawei Mate50 Pro – a flagship phone with class-leading camera and rugged build quality
The Huawei Mate50 Pro is a stunning flagship device with cutting-edge technology, powerful camera capabilities, and an impressive design.
Introducing the latest Huawei Mate50 Pro smartphone, featuring cutting-edge technology, sleek design, and a powerful camera. Image: Supplied.
The Huawei Mate50 Pro is Huawei’s latest flagship smartphone, and as you’d expect, it is crammed with innovative features that continue to push boundaries.
Eye-catching design
The Huawei Mate50 Pro’s most eye-catching feature is the aluminium alloy ring on the back. The ring holds the phone’s three cameras and two focus sensors.
The device was designed with uncompromised attention to detail, and the edge of the camera ring is adorned with pyramid-shaped Clous de Paris patterning, which is a tribute to elegance, perseverance, and classic design.
Huawei Mate50 Pro comes with impressive camera system
It is fitting that the phone’s most eye-catching feature accentuates the camera, which is its finest feature.
DXOMARK ranked the Huawei Mate50 Pro as the best smartphone by camera in 2022 – ahead of the Google Pixel 7 Pro, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra – and it is not hard to see why.
The device shoots the lights out, so to speak, no matter the lighting conditions. The phone has a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 64-megapixel telephoto sensor and a 13-megapixel ultra-wide lens. Its physical aperture on the primary sensor allows users to take complete control of the depth of field of their photographs by selecting one of 10 stops between f1.4 and f4.0.
If users can’t be bothered with manually selecting a setting, the powerful auto modes will ensure the best image is captured every time the shutter is hit. Even if the night mode is not selected, the camera performs well in low light.
Rugged Build Quality
Despite its good looks, the Huawei Mate50 Pro is a rather rugged device. Breaking with tradition, the 6.74-inch OLED display is made of Huawei’s Kunlun Glass instead of the industry’s preferred Gorilla Glass, which led to the phone being the first to ever score a five-star glass drop resistance rating from Switzerland’s SGS.
The Kunlun Glass is made up of 10 quadrillion-level nanocrystals that improve the phone’s drop resistance tenfold. The vegan leather edition we reviewed is IP68 water and dust resistant and can be submerged up to six metres.
The display supports a refresh rate of 120HZ at a resolution of 2616 x 1212 pixels. The device, powered by a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, can comfortably run popular mobile games at the maximum graphics and framerate allowed.
We tested out Call of Duty Mobile (CODM) on the device and found the gameplay quite smooth, and the high refresh rate enabled us to get the drop on opponents.
Fast Charging Capabilities
The device comes with a 4700mAh battery capable of lasting an entire day with regular usage.
Standby battery drain is excellent, and the device will hold its charge for days on end. More hands-on users will be glad to know that 66W wired charger can fully charge the battery in about 42 minutes. The 50W wireless charger, which is sold separately, doesn’t lag too far behind.
There’s also the option of 5W reverse charging for compatible devices that support QI charging.
As the country is currently plagued by load shedding, users will be pleased to know that the Mate50 Pro’s battery will last longer than the typical two-hour load shedding slot when the battery drops to 1%.
In emergency mode, the device can support three hours of standby and up to 12 minutes of phone calls without damaging the battery.
Huawei Mate50 Pro availability and pricing
Consumers can now purchase the Huawei Mate50 Pro from major network providers and retailers in South Africa.
The device is also available on the Huawei online store for those who prefer online shopping. The phone is priced at R24 999 and R26 999 for the 256 GB and 512 GB models, respectively.
With its advanced features, stylish appearance, and an impressive camera, the Huawei Mate50 Pro is expected to be a highly sought-after device among consumers.
Reasons to buy the Huawei Mate50 Pro
Pros:
- Impressive camera system, ranked best by DXOMARK for smartphones in 2022.
- Durable build quality, with drop resistance and water/dust resistance ratings, making it a rugged device.
- Fast charging capabilities, with a 66W wired charger and 50W wireless charger (sold separately), and reverse charging option for compatible devices.
