The Huawei Mate 8: The Best Phone You’ve Never Heard of…
Like the Nexus 6P, the Huawei Mate 8 is INSANELY good. Here's 7 reasons you should be looking at this phone
Fresh off the back of the hugely successful Nexus 6P, Huawei has aspirations of becoming the next big thing in the Android space. We say, aspirations, but, in actual fact, the company is already a very big deal — even if you haven’t heard of them.
As of Q1 2015, Huawei is the third biggest handset maker on the planet, behind Apple and Samsung. That’s right: Huawei is bigger than Sony, LG, Motorola, Lenovo, BlackBerry, OnePlus and Xiaomi.
And unlike most of Google’s Android partners, Huawei is KILLING it in both the mid and high-end phone segments.
“Huawei raised itself to the number three spot this quarter from its fourth position in 2015Q1,” said IDC. “There was a continued push on premium devices from its Ascend Mate 7, P-Series, and Honor portfolio.”
It added: “The shipments of mid-range and high-end phones accounted for 35.5% of its smartphone shipments in 2015 Q2. Huawei's Y-series sold briskly both inside and outside China, as a valuable low-cost option in many markets.”
The Huawei Mate 8 used to be the latest from Huawei.
But you now have a choice though when it comes to Huawei flagships, as the Mate 8 isn’t the latest handset you can buy. Huawei launched the P9 and the P9 Plus in early April and so far the response to the handsets has been superb — you can read why in our Huawei P9 and P9 Plus Hands On Review.
The camera is the big USP aboard the P9 and P9 Plus and, unlike Apple, Huawei has included the same unit on both models. The only difference between the two models is display size, memory and storage — all the good stuff is kept the same. And that camera really is very impressive: it’s a dual-lens Leica 12MP Summarit H 1:2.2/27 ASPH sensor array.
The two wide-aperture, f/1.1 sensors fulfil different purposes, both feature a large pixel size for more light, but one handles RGB colour while the other is a monochromatic black-and-white sensor. And the results, even from our hands-on were alarmingly good. We really cannot wait to test this handset out properly. We could have a world-beater on our hands here. And that doesn’t happen very often.
The Mate 8 still offers excellent value though. Below are are seven quick points on why I think pretty much everybody should take a serious look at it when upgrading their current handset.
Fresh off the back of the hugely successful Nexus 6P, Huawei has aspirations of becoming the next big thing in the Android space. We say, aspirations, but, in actual fact, the company is already a very big deal — even if you haven’t heard of them.
As of Q1 2015, Huawei is the third biggest handset maker on the planet, behind Apple and Samsung. That’s right: Huawei is bigger than Sony, LG, Motorola, Lenovo, BlackBerry, OnePlus and Xiaomi.
And unlike most of Google’s Android partners, Huawei is KILLING it in both the mid and high-end phone segments.
“Huawei raised itself to the number three spot this quarter from its fourth position in 2015Q1,” said IDC. “There was a continued push on premium devices from its Ascend Mate 7, P-Series, and Honor portfolio.”
It added: “The shipments of mid-range and high-end phones accounted for 35.5% of its smartphone shipments in 2015 Q2. Huawei's Y-series sold briskly both inside and outside China, as a valuable low-cost option in many markets.”
The Huawei Mate 8 used to be the latest from Huawei.
But you now have a choice though when it comes to Huawei flagships, as the Mate 8 isn’t the latest handset you can buy. Huawei launched the P9 and the P9 Plus in early April and so far the response to the handsets has been superb — you can read why in our Huawei P9 and P9 Plus Hands On Review.
The camera is the big USP aboard the P9 and P9 Plus and, unlike Apple, Huawei has included the same unit on both models. The only difference between the two models is display size, memory and storage — all the good stuff is kept the same. And that camera really is very impressive: it’s a dual-lens Leica 12MP Summarit H 1:2.2/27 ASPH sensor array.
The two wide-aperture, f/1.1 sensors fulfil different purposes, both feature a large pixel size for more light, but one handles RGB colour while the other is a monochromatic black-and-white sensor. And the results, even from our hands-on were alarmingly good. We really cannot wait to test this handset out properly. We could have a world-beater on our hands here. And that doesn’t happen very often.
The Mate 8 still offers excellent value though. Below are are seven quick points on why I think pretty much everybody should take a serious look at it when upgrading their current handset.
Huawei Mate 8: It Looks and Feels Great
The Nexus 6P looked great. Ditto the Honor 5X, also made by Huawei. But I’d argue the Huawei Mate 8 looks better than both of them put together.
I mean, just LOOK at it…
The handset is super premium, crafted entirely out of aluminium and looks utterly stunning from pretty much every angle, unlike the Nexus 6P, which is kind of dull looking front-onwards.
It is big, measuring in at 157.1 x 80.6mm, and it does have a 6in 1080p display, but phones this size are practically the norm now so I do not see this as a negative at all; people like BIG phones these days. Hell, even Apple is making them!
The Nexus 6P looked great. Ditto the Honor 5X, also made by Huawei. But I’d argue the Huawei Mate 8 looks better than both of them put together.
I mean, just LOOK at it…
The handset is super premium, crafted entirely out of aluminium and looks utterly stunning from pretty much every angle, unlike the Nexus 6P, which is kind of dull looking front-onwards.
It is big, measuring in at 157.1 x 80.6mm, and it does have a 6in 1080p display, but phones this size are practically the norm now so I do not see this as a negative at all; people like BIG phones these days. Hell, even Apple is making them!
Huawei Mate 8: It’s Super FAST
Huawei’s Kirin CPU isn’t that well known in the West. The CPU market is hugely competitive with massive barriers to entry. Like, BILLIONS of dollars-massive, and players like Qualcomm, NVIDIA and Samsung want to keep it that way for the foreseeable.
Still, Huawei is a big deal in its native China, which also happens to be the biggest tech market on the planet. Huawei is heavily invested in mobile data, infrastructure and modems and has been for years — it was doing this before it decided to make phones.
The company also does mobile processors, too. And the octa-core 2.3GHz Kirin 950 chipset inside the Mate 8 is an absolute monster when it comes to processing grunt. It scored an INSANE 6,210 in Geekbench 3's multicore test, the fastest score we’ve ever seen — almost 2,000 points in front of the iPhone 6S, and around 1,200 points ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
Huawei’s Kirin CPU isn’t that well known in the West. The CPU market is hugely competitive with massive barriers to entry. Like, BILLIONS of dollars-massive, and players like Qualcomm, NVIDIA and Samsung want to keep it that way for the foreseeable.
Still, Huawei is a big deal in its native China, which also happens to be the biggest tech market on the planet. Huawei is heavily invested in mobile data, infrastructure and modems and has been for years — it was doing this before it decided to make phones.
The company also does mobile processors, too. And the octa-core 2.3GHz Kirin 950 chipset inside the Mate 8 is an absolute monster when it comes to processing grunt. It scored an INSANE 6,210 in Geekbench 3's multicore test, the fastest score we’ve ever seen — almost 2,000 points in front of the iPhone 6S, and around 1,200 points ahead of the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
Huawei Mate 8: Physically, It’s As Good As The Nexus 6P
In terms of looks, design and functionality — key placement, fingerprint scanner — this handset is easily as good, if not better, than the Nexus 6P in terms of gross physicality.
As I said before, the Huawei Mate 8 looks stunning and while it is a little on the large side it is still fairly easy to handle thanks to shape and lovely chamfered edges which not only look great, but also aid grip. I’m also loving this trend of putting fingerprint scanners on the back of the handset — it makes so much sense! Wonder how long before Apple switches TouchID to the back of the iPhone?
In terms of looks, design and functionality — key placement, fingerprint scanner — this handset is easily as good, if not better, than the Nexus 6P in terms of gross physicality.
As I said before, the Huawei Mate 8 looks stunning and while it is a little on the large side it is still fairly easy to handle thanks to shape and lovely chamfered edges which not only look great, but also aid grip. I’m also loving this trend of putting fingerprint scanners on the back of the handset — it makes so much sense! Wonder how long before Apple switches TouchID to the back of the iPhone?
Huawei Mate 8 : The Software is HORRID — But It Doesn’t Matter
I could rant and rave about Huawei’s EMUI UX for hours. Like 99.9% of custom skins, I utterly despise it because it aims to do way too much and is essentially nothing more than an exercise in bloatware — think what Samsung was doing 2012/13 and then times by a thousand and you’re about half way there.
It doesn’t have an app tray, has WAY too many random applications and, generally speaking, feels just too busy. Of course, this is my personal preference; some of you may find this type of custom skin appealing — it certainly has a lot of features and customisation options.
I get what Huawei is doing here: custom UXs give the phone an identity, something that differentiates it from its peers, and they also allow the OEM to integrate its own services and data-gathering apps. But as Samsung finally discovered 18 months ago, nobody cares about or likes all of these services.
Google Play has everything you could possibly need in this regard and with app stores the choice to download and install something is always the user’s choice. Bloatware should not exist in this day and age. Users are too savvy and phone makers should have better ideas/initiatives for collecting data and making their products unique.
I personally prefer stock Android on my phone. I like everything out of the way and minimal bloatware hogging my phone’s memory. Basically, if I want something I will download it; I don’t want EVERY conceivable app known to man included just in case I might one day happen to find a use for them. Samsung gets this, so too does Motorola and HTC is slowly warming to the idea. Huawei, you’re next.
However, none of this matters because Huawei, unlike WAY TOO MANY Android phone makers, has left the Mate 8’s bootloader open, so you can flash whatever the hell you like onto the Mate 8 and THAT means you don’t have to deal with the hell that is EMUI 4. I’d recommend Cyanogen if you’re after a ROM that’s stable and regularly updated.
I could rant and rave about Huawei’s EMUI UX for hours. Like 99.9% of custom skins, I utterly despise it because it aims to do way too much and is essentially nothing more than an exercise in bloatware — think what Samsung was doing 2012/13 and then times by a thousand and you’re about half way there.
It doesn’t have an app tray, has WAY too many random applications and, generally speaking, feels just too busy. Of course, this is my personal preference; some of you may find this type of custom skin appealing — it certainly has a lot of features and customisation options.
I get what Huawei is doing here: custom UXs give the phone an identity, something that differentiates it from its peers, and they also allow the OEM to integrate its own services and data-gathering apps. But as Samsung finally discovered 18 months ago, nobody cares about or likes all of these services.
Google Play has everything you could possibly need in this regard and with app stores the choice to download and install something is always the user’s choice. Bloatware should not exist in this day and age. Users are too savvy and phone makers should have better ideas/initiatives for collecting data and making their products unique.
I personally prefer stock Android on my phone. I like everything out of the way and minimal bloatware hogging my phone’s memory. Basically, if I want something I will download it; I don’t want EVERY conceivable app known to man included just in case I might one day happen to find a use for them. Samsung gets this, so too does Motorola and HTC is slowly warming to the idea. Huawei, you’re next.
However, none of this matters because Huawei, unlike WAY TOO MANY Android phone makers, has left the Mate 8’s bootloader open, so you can flash whatever the hell you like onto the Mate 8 and THAT means you don’t have to deal with the hell that is EMUI 4. I’d recommend Cyanogen if you’re after a ROM that’s stable and regularly updated.
Huawei Mate 8: The Battery Life is INSANE
The Mate 8 doesn’t have a QHD display — a thing I am completely, 100% fine with — but it does have a 4000Mah battery and this, if you were wondering, translates into some pretty INSANE levels of battery endurance — we’re talking DAYS here. Even with heavy use.
Nothing else I’ve used has even come close to this handset in this regard. Not the iPhone 6 Plus. Not the Nexus 6P. Nothing — the Mate 8 is in a class of its own. And who do we have to thank for this? Simple: Mr. 1090p display and Mrs. Mega Battery, a match made in battery performance heaven.
The Mate 8 doesn’t have a QHD display — a thing I am completely, 100% fine with — but it does have a 4000Mah battery and this, if you were wondering, translates into some pretty INSANE levels of battery endurance — we’re talking DAYS here. Even with heavy use.
Nothing else I’ve used has even come close to this handset in this regard. Not the iPhone 6 Plus. Not the Nexus 6P. Nothing — the Mate 8 is in a class of its own. And who do we have to thank for this? Simple: Mr. 1090p display and Mrs. Mega Battery, a match made in battery performance heaven.
Huawei Mate 8: It’s A LOT Cheaper Than Most of Its Peers
The 32GB Huawei Mate 8 costs £429, making it A LOT cheaper than nearly all of its closet rivals — the iPhone 6s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 EDGE+ and the soon to be released Galaxy S7 and LG G5.
That’s A LOT of phone and the price, once MWC is out of the way, will likely be reduced even more, making the Mate 8 an all the more attractive proposition with its unlocked bootloader, awesome design and INSANE battery performance.
The 32GB Huawei Mate 8 costs £429, making it A LOT cheaper than nearly all of its closet rivals — the iPhone 6s Plus, Samsung Galaxy S6 EDGE+ and the soon to be released Galaxy S7 and LG G5.
That’s A LOT of phone and the price, once MWC is out of the way, will likely be reduced even more, making the Mate 8 an all the more attractive proposition with its unlocked bootloader, awesome design and INSANE battery performance.
Huawei Mate 8: It Has All The Things Most Android Users Want
It has EVERYTHING most Android users demand, save for a removable battery. Just look at those specs:
Huawei Mate 8 Specs & Hardware
Processor Octa-core 2.3GHz Kirin 950 RAM 3GB Screen size 6.0in Screen resolution 1,920x1,080 Screen type IPS Front camera 8 megapixels Rear camera 16 megapixels Flash Dual LED GPS Yes Compass Yes Storage (free) 32GB (24.6GB) / 64GB Memory card slot (supplied) microSD Wi-Fi 802.11ac Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.2 NFC Yes Wireless data 3G, 4G Size 157x81x7.9mm Weight 185g Operating system Android 6.0 Battery size
It has EVERYTHING most Android users demand, save for a removable battery. Just look at those specs:
Huawei Mate 8 Specs & Hardware
| Processor | Octa-core 2.3GHz Kirin 950 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Screen size | 6.0in |
| Screen resolution | 1,920x1,080 |
| Screen type | IPS |
| Front camera | 8 megapixels |
| Rear camera | 16 megapixels |
| Flash | Dual LED |
| GPS | Yes |
| Compass | Yes |
| Storage (free) | 32GB (24.6GB) / 64GB |
| Memory card slot (supplied) | microSD |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11ac |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| NFC | Yes |
| Wireless data | 3G, 4G |
| Size | 157x81x7.9mm |
| Weight | 185g |
| Operating system | Android 6.0 |
| Battery size | |
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