100 days with the Mate 10 Pro: no divorce planned
Most smartphones, no matter how good, end up showing signs of wear and tear. Is this the case with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, or has it improved over time like a good wine? I tested this smartphone for 100 days, so now let's check out the results. Has the device stood the test of time or is it a no-go?
Let's get down to it: am I still satisfied with the Huawei Mate 10 Pro after 100 days? My experience is very positive, but it's not perfect either. Below, I will explain what I liked and disliked as well as what surprised me.
Gaming and media: an great experience
Although the Mate 10 Pro is still versatile, it is clearly aimed at gaming and media enthusiasts. Its large 6-inch screen (18:9 format) makes video playback and game use very enjoyable. It doesn't have the best definition on the market, but I'm still happy with the result. The components of the device are top of the range, meaning the device can run any game without any problem. Personally, I haven't had a problem with slowdowns in the games, and the smartphone has never overheated despite the extra work I forced it to do.
My favorite feature was the stereo sound: when you use the device in horizontal mode, the stereo sound is switched on (this can be changed in the settings) to provide a better experience. This changes from the usual single speaker set-up on the lower edge that we find in most smartphones. Another element that will probably satisfy many users is the large storage capacity, and another, is the Easy Projection mode: not necessarily amazing, but it still does the job.
There is always a but: the absence of the mini-jack plug is more problematic than I imagined. When you have your Bluetooth headset with you, it's fine. But if you forget it, it means you'll have to spend your whole day with no music. Gone are the days when you get to work and find your trusty mini-jack headphones. It's a bit like USB-C, the technology evolves for the better, but when you don't have the right hardware you can't do anything. It's a case of changing your habits, or improving your memory!
Does its artificial intelligence actually make it intelligent?
Huawei highlights its developments in artificial intelligence. The Neural Processing Unit is designed to support the device's CPU (up to 25 times faster) and GPU (up to 4 times faster), while consuming less power. In other words, your smartphone will be quicker. This will give your applications a boost, providing better results in the camera and translation application.
What about in practice? The NPU chip certainly takes effect and the photos are of good quality (although I still prefer the Pixel 2 camera), and I particularly liked the portrait mode. To put it simply, we have a very good camera here. But to what extent does the NPU chip play a role? It's hard to say.
For the rest, the situation seems to boil down to a single word: marketing. It makes you wonder whether the chip does everything Huawei claims. I personally don't think it makes any difference on a daily basis. I've had the opportunity to use many high-end devices and I don't think that the Mate 10 Pro is faster, I didn't notice applications launching more quickly, or learning from my use.
As for the translation application, except for the design it does no better than Google Translation. Of course, it will still be improved (and it needs it), but currently, it is rather disappointing. As for voice translation, it leaves even more to be desired.
Yes, I do, for better or for worse.
Not everything is perfect. On a few rare occasions there were some odd moments with the Mate 10 Pro. For example, I was using WhatsApp and all of a sudden the screen switched off for a few seconds, then returned to the locked screen. And another small problem: the search parameters on EMUI don't always work very well, I type what I'm looking for, but it doesn't find the option even though I know it exists. It's a shame, as it would help to avoid getting lost in menus, especially if it's to find features that Huawei hasn't fully adopted (for example Smart Lock).
The positives outweigh the negatives, so I highly doubt you'll regret your purchase. The camera is powerful, and takes good quality photos, and the battery life is also excellent. If you keep in mind that it is not a perfect smartphone, you'll be more than happy with the Mate 10 Pro.
Do you have one of these devices? Let us know what you think of it.
With my Galaxy S5 a few years back, a software update simply crushed that phone. My next phone was the Nexus 5X, which wasn't bad, but over time just got too slow and had a rather bland camera experience. My latest phone, the LG V20 has been great, but out of nowhere the wide angle camera crashed rendering the camera app useless (even after factory reset) and the battery, while replaceable, just wasn't holding up.
For me, in buying a new phone, battery life and a very good camera were among the most important aspects for me. iPhone wasn't an option, so I was staring at dropping around $900 or so for a Galaxy S9, Pixel 2 or the V30. The software update on the S5 still scares me from Samsung, the Pixel 2 has had way too many reported bugs, and the V20 dying off a bit prematurely makes me leery on LG. That said, I was about to go with the V30, but a 2 month wait time for inventory wouldn't work for me.
Then I saw this Mate 10 as an option. Several reviews later, lots of research on my own, and a price of $650 on Amazon for the unlocked US version, and I now have this in my hands. I have only had for a day now, but so far its been a good experience. We will see how time goes, but as of right now... I think I may have made a good choice.
If/when the mate11/12 comes out, I might look at the Mate10, just like I did, when I had the mate2, and the 8 came out. Right now, for my use, it's not worth paying THAT much for any smartphone. 500 bucks is pretty much my limit.
I am very much the same, not wanting to overspend on a device that a year later may just stop working. I had to replace my LG V20, and right now the V30 is just too much. But I just picked this phone up for $650 at Amazon with same day delivery. May want to give it a thought.
Do a search on Amazon for B078T3D547 - I am new here, so I can't post links quite yet.
Great article,.. How has your experience been with notifications on the mate 10 I've heard alot of complains about notifications
Had one for about the same length of time, this review sums up pretty much my experience with it, still the best phone I've had tho....
Thanks for your great opinion.
In the last 2 months I've had an S8 Plus ,a Note 8 ,standard s8, HTC 10 iPhone 8 plus iPhone 6 actually two Note 8s..... And for some reason I just could not enjoy them the Note 8 has somberly signal issues that I don't enjoy and overall Samsung TouchWiz skin is made their phones very on enjoyable. As far as iOS goes going from Android to iPhone it seem like I hit a lot of walls like places that I could go before but now we're restricted. Also the screen feels like a cheap piece of plastic like a really loose bongo drum sounds Hollow just feels like a cheap piece of junk I know Samsung made the screens for that phone but somehow Apple managed to make him feel extremely flimsy. I don't understand how anybody could tolerate an iPhone teach their own I guess.there keyboard can't change the size of it you can't download apps bigger than 150 megabytes on data. after using the HTC 10 I had gotten used to being able to download my updates on data. Is what you rely upon when you live in rural Alaska. Other than the HTC 10 the final phone I got to have the best reception has been the OnePlus 3T. I paid $200 for it on a app called mercari. From an amazing seller named gamer mom. Anyways I've had the OnePlus 3T for a month now and I cannot be happier their OS is a breath of fresh air I've noticed no slowing or stuttering or anything like I have in all those ones mentioned above except the HTC 10 which also ran like a dream both phones got killer reception where live which I'm not used to. So I won't even bother looking at those other phones go get yourself a OnePlus these phones are amazing I read all the possible cons I could before buying it just to see what issues might arrive in the future whatever what rights customers it had for it. And I really don't know what the heck they're talking about screens amazing the phones tough-as-nails I think I've dropped it like 5 or 6 times by now usually I'm broken the screen an edge screen buy now lol and I can't begin to explain how fast it charges it's amazing. So at $500 is the most you spend on a phone then I highly recommend OnePlus...... except the 6 Wich is ruined by a notch.....I don't know who's telling them they like notches and so does everyone ....cuz there liars..... An article I read about Notches trying to say get used to it will like them comparing them to hinges on Doors I'm sorry but you don't put the DVD player right in the middle of your TV and you don't put the hinges on the outside of your door they also referred to them as side mirrors how they are perceived in the same manner or something like that I don't know sorry but you don't put the door handle in the middle of the mirror LOL anyways good luck