Huawei Mate 9, this is the new king of the phablet market

The Mate line has managed to gain an interesting niche of users who appreciate its quality finishes, huge screen and impressive autonomy. We already gave you our first impressions after testing the last member at the manufacturer's event, now we bring you a complete Huawei Mate 9 review, without a doubt, the best phone made so far by the Asian giant.

And is that the fall of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has given a golden opportunity to its competitors to increase their market share in a sector, that of phablets, clearly dominated by the Samsung Note family. And if, The Huawei Mate 9 has many numbers to become the new king of the range. 

The Huawei Mate 9 stands out for offering spectacular finishes within a design that maintains the manufacturer's DNA

The first thing you expect when using a 5.9-inch phone is that the terminal is a colossus in terms of size. And here comes the first surprise when thoroughly testing the Huawei Mate 9. The latest member of the phablet family of the Asian manufacturer It has very contained dimensions.

With measurements of 156,9 x 78,9 x 7.9 mm I can say that the Huawei Mate 9 is a really handy and comfortable terminal to use despite the diagonal of its screen. The phone feels really good in the hand, offering a good grip despite the polished metal finish with which it is built and its 190 grams of weight make the terminal quite light despite having a 5.9-inch panel.

Much of the merit of its size goes to the front of the phone, really well used. Side frames are barely visible on the front, especially in the Mocha Brown model. In addition, the manufacturer uses a thin black frame of just one millimeter that surrounds the entire screen giving a greater sense of use of the front. Although there are users who do not like this framework too much, I personally do not mind at all. Of course, in the model that I used, with the front in white, the effect was more remarkable.

Both the upper and lower frames are not excessively wide. At the top is where several sensors are located in addition to the front camera, while at the bottom we will find the brand's logo. And the capacitive buttons? Huawei continues to bet on the buttons on the screen, a very successful idea in my opinion.

On the left side we find the slot to insert two nanoSIM cards, or a nanoSIM card and a micro SD card that allows you to expand the capacity of the terminal. An increasingly used system that has become a benchmark for Huawei. Wise choice.

Moving to the left side, is where the volume control keys are located in addition to the power button of the Huawei Mate 9. Both buttons they offer a very pleasant touch, with that characteristic roughness on the power button to differentiate it from the volume control keys, in addition to having a perfect stroke and more than adequate pressure resistance. Personally, I am used to having all three buttons on the same side, so I have no problem in this regard, it is easy to get used to it anyway.

Unlike the Huawei P9, the manufacturer's new phablet features the headphone jack on top, in addition to an infrared port that will allow us to control different devices from the phone. As for the bottom, we will see two grilles for the speaker output and a USB C connector.

The back of the Huawei Mate 9 offers a very attractive and remarkable design with the presence of the dual camera with its dual tone LED flash and the fingerprint sensor, plus the brand name at the bottom.

Un nice phone that maintains the design lines seen in previous models and that stands out compared to its competitors thanks to that rear part with the curious dual camera configuration that, as you will see later, offers incredible performance.

Can I find you a but? yes the fact that the Huawei Mate 9 is not resistant to dust and water. I think the only thing missing from the terminals of the Asian manufacturer is the corresponding IP certification that allows you to submerge your impressive phone without problems. Hopefully the next generation does have this protection.

Technical characteristics of the Huawei Mate 9

As expected in a team of these characteristics, the Huawei Mate 9 has a really powerful hardware configuration. Huawei continues to bet on its own solutions to give life to its first swords and the processor HiSilicon Kirin 960 eIt is the most powerful SoC created by the firm today.

I'm talking about an octa core CPU made up of four Cortex A73 cores that reach a clock speed of 2.4 GHz, in addition to four other Cortes A53 cores at 1.8 GHz. To this we must add a i6 coprocessor which is in charge of controlling the different sensors of the device, even if it is in suspension.

A processor of guarantees and that has a power much higher than what any user will need so in that aspect you will not have to worry. From Huawei they presume that the Kirin 960 is 15% more powerful and 18% more efficient than previous versions And, after testing it for a month, I assure you that it is like this: the terminal moves everything we see on its screen at high speed, without noticing a hint of lag or stoppage.

If Huawei does not bet on processors from MediaTek, Qualcomm or Samsung to make its best terminals beat, it is for a very simple reason: it does not need them. The manufacturer has managed to achieve a quality in terms of the manufacture of processors that has nothing to envy its competitors.

And if we take into account that this power does not harm autonomy at all of the Huawei Mate 9 which, as you will see later, is still one of the strengths of a phone that is going to become a real best-seller.

Besides, his Mali G71 MP8 GPU along with its 4 GB of RAM offer a leap in quality in the graphics section, offering excellent performance with the most demanding games. And considering its compatibility with Vulkan, it is clear that, if you want to enjoy the best games, the Huawei Mate 9 is the ideal candidate. More if we take into account its 5.9-inch screen.

A Full HD screen that shines with its own light

The Huawei Mate 9 has a screen made up of a 5.9-inch IPS panel, plus a 2.5D glass that protects it against bumps and falls. The screen is very well calibrated, offering a perfect tonality and vivid and sharp colors, although thanks to the excellent software integration we can adjust the color temperature to our liking.

The viewing angles are good and brightness control is excellent. The terminal changes the brightness of the screen in real time according to the ambient light in a gentle way, in addition to having an eye protection mode ideal for reading content for hours without tiring your eyes.

While it is true that I would have liked the Huawei Mate 9 to mount a 2K panel, I consider that the manufacturer is completely right by betting on a lower resolution to continue offering a truly remarkable autonomy.

I have been able to test terminals with 2K screens and the difference at a visual level is hardly noticeable, except when reading a lot of text, where a slight improvement is noticeable, but I keep saying that this type of panel is only useful to take advantage of VR technology Until the first 4K panels for mobile phones arrive, where the pixels will finally disappear when enjoying content in virtual reality, I think a Full HD screen is more than enough.

The best fingerprint reader on the market

The biometric sensors on Huawei devices are the best. As simple as that. Of all the phones that I have tried, without a doubt I prefer the solutions of this manufacturer. And in the case of the Huawei Mate 9 we find a fingerprint reader that works like a charm recognizing our footprint at the moment from any angle.

At first the reader gets used to our profile, each time improving the speed when it comes to recognizing our fingerprint, but the truth is that from the first moment it has worked instantaneously and I have not noticed an improvement simply because it is not possible to improve their reaction capacity.

To give you the idea, during this month most of the times when I activated the screen I used the fingerprint reader and It has not failed me once. Personally, I really like its location in the back, although I understand that some users may prefer that it be placed on the front to be able to unlock the phone screen while leaning on a table, but I have gotten used to picking it up to unlock it and I think that his position is perfect.

EMUI 5.0, a comfortable and light interface that does not slow down the user experience

I don't like custom layers. Pure Android is the best option and then users will install a launcher if they want. But I have to say that the latest versions of EMUI have liked me and with EMUI 5.0 Huawei has managed to achieve exquisite quality and user experience.

To start the layer is based on Android 7.0 Nougat, the latest version of Google's operating system, something to be appreciated. The changes compared to previous versions are very interesting since, for example, we can activate an application drawer, an ideal option for those users who have not just got used to their desktop-based system.

The vast majority of apps and features are three clicks away so it is very easy and comfortable to get to any section of the terminal. Highlight its multitasking management that, with a light touch on the corresponding button, we will access a system of «cards» with which we can see what applications we have open.

Like previous models, the Huawei Mate 9 has the option of perform different gestures with your knuckles to take screenshots or activate the split screen function that will allow us to use two applications at the same time on the same screen.

Highlight that keyboard Swiftkey It comes standard in the terminal so writing with this Huawei Mate 9 is a real joy. And special emphasis on the "twin applications" mode, a really interesting feature of EMUI 5.0 and that allows us to use the same service, such as WhatsApp or Facebook, with two profiles. Ideal for those people who have a personal and a professional number and who do not want to carry two phones at the same time.

Huawei's new interface features a own artificial intelligence platform that learns through our use of the device, adapting to our needs and offering better performance.

These algorithms, which do not need an internet connection to work, adapt to our daily use and make the applications you use frequently run faster. It is effective? I have no idea, as I have not noticed an improvement in performance, but since the performance is perfect every time, I can assume that this feature is really worth it.

But not all are good news. Chinese manufacturers love to install bloatware and unfortunately Huawei is no exception. Facebook, Booking or a list of games are pre-installed on the phone and, although most of these garbage applications can be deleted, I find it annoying that applications come that I have not requested. But it is something that we are accustomed to, unfortunately, most manufacturers and at least it doesn't detract from the excellent user experience that EMUI 5.0 offers

Battery: the Huawei Mate 9 once again sweeps its competitors by offering unprecedented performance and autonomy

La autonomy it is one of the most important factors when choosing a terminal with a large screen and in the case of the Mate line it has always been one of its strengths. And in the case of the Huawei Mate 9, I have to say that the manufacturer has been exceeded.

The Mate 9 has a 4.000 mAh battery that really takes advantage of its autonomy. To give you the idea, giving normal use, with your daily Spotify hour, browsing the internet, reading emails, using social networks conservatively and playing for half an hour, the terminal has endured me two days. The second day he already got home at 20:00 p.m. somewhat rushed, but the performance is spectacular.

If we squeeze your camera to take photos and videos or play demanding games, the battery will drain really quickly, but I already tell you that in normal use it is impossible for the phone to drop below 40% in one day.

To this we must add the excellent fast charging mechanism that comes standard in the Huawei Mate 9, allowing us to have 30% of the battery charged in 50 minutes. The first days that I was testing the phone it took longer, reaching 60% in 50 minutes, but after a couple of good charges it became clear that Huawei was not lying in this regard, well, fast charging has actually been faster than it claims. the manufacturer, which surprised me.

And is that I reached 55% battery charge in 30 minutes And, as I mentioned before, with that autonomy we are guaranteed a full day of use. Unsurprisingly, the intensity of the charge decreases as time goes on, but the first 30 - 40 minutes is when the charge takes place the fastest.

According to my tests, full charge takes less than two hours, ranging between an hour and twenty minutes and an hour and forty minutes. The last 15% battery is the one that takes the longest to fill, but I already tell you that its speed is surprising.

Un fast charging system that surpasses the well-known Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 or MediaTek's Pump Express that we were able to test with the Nomu S20. Of course, you have to use the charger that comes with the terminal and which is slightly larger than the chargers that Huawei usually supplies on its devices.

Say that the Huawei Mate 9 does not have wireless charging, although it is something we are used to with terminals that offer a body made of aluminum for what I consider a lesser evil.

And finally I want to comment on a detail that I liked. And is that In the box of the Mate 9 comes a micro USB to USB Type C adapter, Very useful for when you go to someone's house and they don't have a cable compatible with your phone.

A camera that proves dual system is the way to go

The camera section is one of the most notable points in the new Huawei Mate 9. To continue betting on a dual lens system makes clear the intention of the manufacturer to strengthen its alliance with Leica. And the results achieved have been really good.

To begin with, the Mate 9 has a first sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels and a focal aperture f 2.2 that collects monochrome information (in black and white). On the other hand we find a second 12 megapixel sensor that has the same focal aperture and that captures color images.

Both lenses are the model Leica Summarit - H 1: 2.2 / 27 that we already saw in the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus. The result of this combination makes the images captured in color or black and white reach 20 megapixels. The trick lies in the image processing as the Mate 9 takes the captured images in color and in monochrome mode to interpolate the colors creating a real 20 megapixel image.

Special emphasis on the incredible bokeh effect that is achieved with the Huawei Mate 9 and that is activated through the Extended aperture parameter in the phone's camera app. The photos captured with this mode are surprising since, once the capture is made, we can vary the depth of field of the photograph thanks to its powerful processing software.

And the software helps a lot in this regard. The Huawei Mate 9 camera application has a large number of filters and modes that will delight photography lovers. Especially the monochrome mode to take amazing black and white photos. And we cannot forget the professional mode that will allow you to manually change different camera parameters, such as focus or white balance, becoming an essential tool for experts in the field of photography. Yes, rest assured that you can save images in RAW format.

Highlight that the combination of both sensors allows to create a 2x hybrid zoom and digital that offers a quite acceptable performance, without reaching the level of an optical zoom but that, I guarantee you, will save you from more than one trouble.

To say that the focus speed of the Mate 9's camera is really good, offering very fast and quality captures. Later I will leave you a series of photographs taken with the phone so that you can see its possibilities.

The colors look very sharp and vivid, especially in environments with good lighting, although its behavior in night photos has surprised me. I want to emphasize that the captures made with the Mate 9 cameras offer reality in a particularly faithful way.

What does this mean? That we will not see images as colorful as in other high-end phones that have HDR activated at its best to offer brighter colors. Personally I like this option more, and if I want to treat the image I will use the large number of filters available to give a more striking touch to the captures made.

I still think that the camera on the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, or the impressive camera on the LG G5, are still a notch above, but the captures obtained with the Huawei Mate 9 are impressive and sooner or later the manufacturer will end up catching up with its competitors, or even surpassing them. And the fact of being able to play with the bokeh effect gives it a very interesting point. Not to mention the fact that we will finally be able to record in 4K format at 30 frames per second.

La front camera, with a focal aperture of f / 1.9 It has quite a good performance, behaving very well and offering very good captures thanks to its 8 megapixel lens, becoming an infallible ally for lovers of selfies.

Gallery of photographs taken with the Huawei Mate 9 camera

Final conclusions

Huawei It has become the third largest manufacturer in the world on its own merits. The Asian giant has managed to get rid of that image of a "cheap Chinese phone brand" to rise as a benchmark in the sector that offers solutions that have nothing to envy to big names like Samsung or Apple.

Already with him Huawei P8 Lite, Along with an impressive advertising campaign, the manufacturer advised of its intentions. And after the Huawei P9 bestseller, which has already exceeded 9 million units sold, Huawei knocks on the table to remind you that it is here to stay.

Before I have commented that this Huawei Mate 9 is the best phone made to date by Huawei and the work done is exquisite. A device that has very premium finishes, with features that praise it at the top of the sector, offering impressive performance and with characteristics, such as its double rear camera or autonomy that differentiate it from its competitors. The Huawei Mate 9 arrives on the market at a price of 699 euros, which, taking into account its characteristics, seems quite reasonable to me.

There is a new king in the phablet market after the fall of the Galaxy Note 7. I don't know if the Note family will return to the market, I hope and I am sure that the Korean manufacturer will not give up so easily, but it has a very tough rival, because if this Huawei Mate 9 It has left such a pleasant taste in my mouth, I'm sure this is just the beginning of an interesting war to be crowned the owner of the phablet market that will greatly benefit the end user.

Editor's opinion

Image gallery of the Huawei Mate 9