Huawei Mate 20 review

Final Thoughts

Huawei Mate 20 is intended mostly for markets where the Pro model isn't available, much like the Mate 10 was last year. And the Mate 20 is shaping to be one very reasonable refresh over its predecessor.

It brings a larger LCD screen with richer color support, a much faster Kirin chipset, and a massive camera upgrade on the back. The new triple cam at the back is far more versatile than the old dual-setup as it can go both wider and longer.

The Mate 20 isn't quite as great as the Mate 20 Pro, but it wasn't meant to be. It gets to keep the essentials - the new design, big screen, powerful chipset, and large battery, while cutting a few corners with the LCD panel and the inferior tri-camera to keep the price lower.

And it worked! The Huawei Mate 20 may have different sensors behind that signature square at the back, but it still matches the Pro's photo and video quality on plenty of occasions. Admittedly, the Pro easily comes out on top at night, but we wouldn't say the difference is as big as the gap in pricing.

While some might prefer the Pro's AMOLED panel, this flat LCD has a lot going for it too. The waterdrop cutout is easier on the eyes, it's bigger and the lack of curves makes it easier to apply screen protectors.

Also, while the Mate 20 misses on the super fast 40W charging on the Pro, we never thought that its 22.5W Super Charge is slow or inadequate.

So, the Huawei Mate 20 is doing a great job of delivering the flagship experience, while undercutting the Pro price significantly. It is an exercise in stripping away gimmicks and not paying over the odds to improve on what is already working very well.

The Competition

The last couple of months have seen a dozen of flagships go official and it will be one very tough shopping season. The Mate 20 will be facing some major threats out there and they deserve to be explored.

Samsung Galaxy S9+ • Samsung Galaxy Note9 • OnePlus 6T • LG V40 ThinQ • Huawei P20 Pro

Samsung has two great smartphones on the market right now. The Galaxy S9+ is already cheaper and has the curvy AMOLED screen plus an interesting camera with variable aperture. The custom Exynos chipset is as fast as the latest Kirin, but in the end the Mate 20 camera is the better all-rounder and EMUI 9 is based on Pie, whereas TouchWiz is still waiting for an update.

The Note9 is a bit more expensive than the Mate 20, and in addition to all the cool S9+ features, it adds a larger screen, battery, and, of course, the S-Pen. If the ultimate phablet experience is a must, the Note9 might be the better fit for you.

The OnePlus 6T is as fresh as the Mate, with similarly notched screen, but an OLED at that. The Snapdragon 845 is still the fastest silicone Qualcomm has to offer, too. OnePlus introduced its own Night Mode and the 6T does it faster than Huawei, but the photos aren't on par in quality. Still, the 6T is quite cheaper, so there is that.

Finally, the water-tight LG V40 ThinQ will be putting some pressure on the Mate 20. It has an OLED screen of a similar size but of a higher resolution. The V40 is equally fast and has a triple camera of the same logic - ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto. The snappers have optical stabilization though, and the V40 can do 4K@60fps, too. The V40 is yet to broaden its market availability, but it's getting there.

And finally, if you like Huawei's take on everything, but can't live without an AMOLED or/and the 3x and 5x zoom in the camera, then there is the Huawei P20 Pro. It can't do ultra-wide-angle shots, but it has the better screen and larger camera zoom at a cheaper price.

The Verdict

Huawei Mate 20, where available, is an easy smartphone to recommend. It has a great large screen with a tiny notch, a top of the line chipset for flagship-grade performance, and a camera that is among the best you can get in a smartphone today with a ton of shooting modes.

The Mate 20 lacks waterproofing, but is among the few remaining flagships with a 3.5mm jack and FM radio support. And while the triple camera isn't as impressive as the Pro, it turned out to be a very capable performer.

The Huawei Mate 20 isn't a crippled Mate 20 Pro. It's one powerful smartphone, with thoughtfully picked features, and it's more than capable to stand its ground. We can see many people deciding on saving €300 and opting for the less fancier but equally capable Mate 20, if they get that kind of choice at all, of course.

Pros

• Nice design with flat front and grippy glass back
• Bright display with great contrast, small notch
• Dependable battery with SuperCharge support
• Top of the line Kirin 980 chipset with AI
• All-round camera experience with great daylight and night shots
• Excellent video stabilization

Cons

• No water resistance
• Low-quality top speaker
• NM cards only!
• No autofocus on the selfie camera
• Abysmal low-light performance of the ultra-wide-angle camera
• The 4K video quality could have been better