Huawei Mate 9 release date, price and tech specs

Huawei Mate 9 release date and price

This year, the firm should lift the veil on its new phone as of November 3. Huawei has sent invitations to journalists for a press conference to be held in Munich and which should be about the new smartphone. Richard Yu, Huawei’s CEO, will be there to present ‘the worldwide launch of Huawei’s next flagship”.

The Huawei Mate 9 could be available in three versions equipped with vivid memories and different storage capacities:

4GB of RAM + 64GB of storage: $455 (conversion from the Yuan)

4GB of RAM + 128GB of storage $524 Euros

6GB of RAM + 256GB of storage: $630 Euros

Huawei Mate 9: design and build

In the world of smartphones, nothing really surprises us anymore. You will definitely not be surprised either to know that the first rumors about the Huawei Mate 9 have started circulating. It is reasonable to think that the smartphone will sport a complete metal look, reflected by the brand’s latest productions. And this is, by the way, what the first reports on the telephone which were published on the internet confirm. The fingerprint reader is located at the back. Several colors are likely to be included; about eight in all.

You would love it if #Huawei Mate9 was so?

A lovely render (HD not Weibo-compressed) by 断翼残殇 - Huawei forum pic.twitter.com/OpdqFnVcSJ

— The Malignant (@the_malignant) 16 août 2016

Huawei Mate 9: display

Here we can find a 5.9-inch screen. The Pro model will use a QHD resolution (1440 x 2560) while the “normal” model uses a Full HD resolution (1080 x 1920). Why does the Pro have a better resolution? Quite simply because it is a better version than the other, suitable for the Daydream virtual reality platform, which would not show anything good on a Full HD resolution.

The Pro model’s screen will be dual edged. In other words, its two screen edges will be curved like the edge phones that are popular right now. The Mate 9 will not have this feature.

Huawei Mate 9 pic.twitter.com/gK5M3yRTcq

— Evan Blass (@evleaks) 22 octobre 2016

Huawei Mate 9: performance

On the other hand, when it comes on to the Mate 9’s special technical features, several details had emerged late February. According to a Chinese media, the smartphone should offer the company’s new Kirin 960 octa-core processor. Knowing that its predecessor, the Kirin 950, had left its mark on us with its performances (placing it just behind the S6 Edge+), it is easy to imagine that the Kirin 960 could rise to the level of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

The Mate 8’s Kirin 950 processor was already powerful. © AndroidPIT

But if we are to believe the latest smartphone appearance on the AnTuTu’s benchmark test, the Mate 9 should offer a 5.9-inch Full HD resolution display, a 2.6 Ghz octa core processor, a Mali-T880 graphic chip, a frontal 8 megapixel front camera, an 11 megapixel rear camera. All running under Android 7.0 Nougat.

Huawei Mate 9: technical specifications

An iris scanner, one of the Galaxy Note 7’s major novelties, could also be integrated into the Mate 9. Huawei saw a way to attract consumers but also strengthen mobile security. On an image of the smartphone, two sensors can be distinguished at the top of the phone. While one should be the camera, the other could be the famous iris scanner.

© Huawei

Huawei Mate 9: camera

Apart from the fact that Huawei should rejoin forces with Leica for its cameras, especially to make the main camera lens, a Chinese report suggests that the Mate 9 will have two 20 megapixels camera sensors. But the latest rumors on the topic contradict this information. It would therefore be necessary to settle for a sensor of 11 megapixels to the back and a 7 megapixel to the front.

Yet, according to a Chinese analyst, the phone will definitely have a double camera at the back. Like the P9, we should see a collaboration with the German firm, Leica, but this time there should be an optical image stabilization, which was lacking on Huawei’s last flagship.

A dual lens and a partnership with Leica would no longer be a part of the Mate 9’s program. © AndroidPIT

Leica is a reputable company when it comes to photography, but despite its association with Huawei, it was not able to impress its users with the phone’s photo quality. It is therefore quite possible that Leica and Huawei want to show what they are capable of by offering a high-standard camera. For the time being, we only know the old rumors regarding the number of megapixels; the figures may have been revised upwards. With regard to the focal aperture, this remains a mystery.

What do you think of the expected Huawei Mate 9? Do you think this year's contender will be a winner?