Huawei continues its strategy of unveiling variants of the smartphone model and covering all bases in the process. All three smartphones sport tapered glass backs, resulting in smooth lines and curved edges that look enticing on the eye and comfortable to hold in the hand. The trio are powered by Android Oreo, also known as Android 8.0.
Like their predecessors, Huawei has teamed up with Leica to offer superior imaging solutions in the form of a dual-camera setup on the rear which consists of a 20MP monochrome sensor and a 12MP colour sensor. Meanwhile the front camera is an 8MP unit. The battery unit measures in at 4,000mAh, which will be sufficient for a full-day use. In the event that it runs flat, it can be quickly replenished due to the built-in quick-charge capability. Huawei claims the smartphones can be charged up to 58% in just 30 minutes.
Productivity is the primary focus for the more professional-minded Mate 10 series, so there is no surprise that it is powered by the latest Kirin 970 Octa-core processor with onboard AI chip—a functionality shared by Apple’s iPhone X.
Nonetheless, that is where the similarities end as each smartphone in the Mate 10 series is markedly different in its own ways, which we will dissect below.
Storage
The Mate 10 Pro and its Porsche Design sibling are afforded more RAM at 6GB as compared to the 4GB of the Mate 10. However, the former duo have no access to expandable storage via micro-SD—they are shipped with 128GB of storage—unlike the Mate 10 which can be expanded by up to 256GB to complement its onboard 64GB.
Size & Screen
The Mate 10 is the widest and heaviest of the three due to its screen ratio of 16:9 at 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. The other two weigh 173g respectively and thanks to the screen ratio of 18.9 at 2,160 x 1,080, they will appear longer when held in portrait orientation.
On the top of that, the display technology also differs in that the Mate 10 uses a denser 5.9-inch LCD panel, while the other two make use of 6-inch OLED panels which aren’t as densely packed.
Fingerprint Scanner
If you can’t tell which is which, the best way to do it is by putting all three side by side. Although all three are equipped with fingerprint scanners, the Mate 10 has it on the front where the home button sits, while the other two have it at the back. Furthermore, the Mate 10 Pro has a Huawei logo lasered onto the bottom bezel, while the Mate 10 Porsche Design exhibits the design firm’s logo.
Water Resistance
Curiously, the Mate 10 lags behind its competitors when it comes to water resistance. The smartphone is nano-coated to repel accidental splashes but anything more robust, you risk damaging it. On the other hand, both the Mate 10 Pro and the Mate 10 Porsche Design are IP67 certified, meaning that they can withstand water immersion for 30 minutes at the depth of 1m.
Headphone Jack
Only one smartphone is still fitted with the traditional yet widely used 3.5mm headphone jack and that’s the Mate 10. The other two smartphones don’t have such luxury. Instead to play music, you will have to pair the headphones via Bluetooth or the USB-C port. Thankfully, a pair of USB-C headphones is shipped together in the box.
It goes without saying that the Mate 10 Porsche Design will be more significantly priced than the in-house-designed Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro. With that you get the prestige associated with the famed design firm, but that’s not all as you will also receive a Porsche Design flip leather case.