After taking a break in 2021, Huawei is back with the Mate 50 series that features a new design, groundbreaking cameras, and Snapdragon processors.
Huawei's new Mate 50 series will debut the company's proprietary camera technology after its partnership with Leica came to an end earlier this year. The Mate series is Huawei's second major flagship line after the P-series. Usually scheduled for launch in the second half of the year, new camera technologies are known to appear first on the Mate series before making their way to the P-series the following year.
The Mate 40 series was announced back in 2020 with Huawei's own Kirin chipsets, and included a mix of 4G and 5G smartphones. Huawei also launched some Mate 40 models outside China including the Mate 40 Pro which was judged the best phone for photography 2020, beating the iPhone 12 Pro and Galaxy S20 Ultra.
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The new Mate 50 series includes the Mate 50, Mate 50 Pro, Porsche Design Mate 50 RS, and a premium mid-range Mate 50E. The Porsche Design Mate 50 RS looks nothing like the other three with its octagonal camera housing and car-inspired design. However, it shares nearly all its features with the Mate 50 Pro, including the wide-notch display. The Mate 50 and Mate 50E could pass for the same device with their flat displays which have a centered punch hole. In addition, they have the same rear camera layout as the Mate 50 Pro. Finally, all three phones, save for the Mate 50E, have an IP68 dust and water resistance rating.
The Mate 50 and Mate 50E both have 6.7-inch OLED displays with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 2,700 × 1,224 resolution. However, the former is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor while the Mate 50E settles for the Snapdragon 778G. Both phones have 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, but there is also a 128GB version of the Mate 50E. Huawei has added support for storage expansion, but it is an NM (nano memory) card slot that is primarily used by Huawei smartphones. The Mate 50 and Mate 50E both feature Huawei's new XMAGE 50MP Ultra Aperture Camera. This RYYB sensor has OIS and EIS, captures 24 percent more light than the sensor on the Mate 40 Pro, and has an f/1.4 to f/4.0 variable aperture that automatically adjusts to capture the best images.
Users who want more control can switch to Pro mode where they can choose between 10 different aperture sizes. The two phones also have the same 13MP 120-degree ultra-wide camera which can also shoot macro images. However, only the Mate 50 has a 12MP telephoto camera with OIS for up to 5x zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, and 100x digital zoom. For selfies, both phones have a 13MP ultra-wide front camera. The Mate 50 and Mate 50E both have a 4,460mAh battery with support for 66W fast charging. The Mate 50 also supports 50W wireless charging, and both phones ship with a charger in the box.
The more expensive Mate 50 Pro and Porsche Design Mate 50 RS have the same 6.74-inch 120Hz (2,616 x 1,212) OLED display. The wide notch at the top of their screens houses a 13MP ultra-wide angle camera and a 3D depth sensing camera for advanced face unlock. Huawei also gives them the same 50MP XMAGE primary rear camera and 13MP ultra-wide camera. However, the third sensor on the Mate 50 Pro is a 64MP f/3.5 telephoto camera. Like the main camera, it is an RYYB sensor with OIS, and can capture more light than a regular telephoto camera. On the other hand, the Mate 50 RS has a 48MP f/3.0 Super TeleMacro camera with OIS. Users will be able to shoot macro images with up to 10x zoom.
The Mate 50 Pro and Mate 50 RS have a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The former has 8GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage while the Mate 50 RS has 12GB of RAM and 512GB of expandable storage. Inside the two phones is a 4,700mAh battery with support for 66W fast wired charging and 50W fast wireless charging. All four phones run HarmonyOS 3.0, have a fingerprint scanner, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, dual SIM support, stereo speakers, and an infrared sensor. While these chips technically support 5G, Huawei can only use them with a 4G modem. This is due to the conditions attached to Huawei's procurement of Qualcomm chips. As for the pricing, the Mate 50E is the cheapest with a ¥3,999 ($575) starting price while the Mate 50 starts at ¥4,999 ($718). Next comes the Mate 50 Pro at ¥6,799 ($970) and the Porsche Design Mate 50 RS at ¥12,999 ($1,869). Huawei hasn't revealed plans for a global launch, but even if it does, none of these phones are expected to make it to the U.S.
Habeeb has years of experience covering consumer technology and has written for multiple publications. As a Senior Writer at Screen Rant, he enjoys writing about wearables, smartphones, tablets, and Chromebooks. Several of his articles include guides and comparisons that help users get the best out of their devices or choose the one that bests suits them. When he's not writing, he's catching up on the latest TV shows. He considers The Crown as peak drama and Castlevania as one of the best game-to-screen adaptations. And on days when there is nothing to watch (is that even possible?), he sneaks in a few hours of games on his PlayStation and Nintendo Switch.