Huawei Mate 80 Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Huawei Mate 80 - When Performance Isn't So Essential

The Chinese company Huawei is having a tough time in the smartphone market. The company still maintains its position as one of the industry leaders, but ongoing US sanctions and the inability to use the latest Qualcomm and MediaTek chipsets, as well as a number of advanced photo modules, make this a significant challenge. Fortunately, new models like the one reviewed today indicate that this world-renowned manufacturer is unlikely to disappear from the spotlight in the coming years.

The phones' appearance is stylish and memorable. The massive round camera module and the unique textured element on the glass back panel together form the figure eight from the series name, or perhaps even an infinity sign. The metal frame feels pleasantly cool in the palm, and the thin display bezels with an integrated fingerprint scanner also evoke exceptionally positive emotions. The 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2832x1280 pixels is no worse than alternatives on flagship phones. There's an excellent 3000 nits of brightness, high image clarity, flawless color reproduction, and virtually no PWM interference. Of course, there's also an oleophobic coating.

But the first, and perhaps final, problem lies in the technical specifications. The Kirin 9020 processor doesn't impress with its benchmark results. AnTuTu scores a modest 1,100,000 for the price segment. While the chipset and 12/16GB of RAM are sufficient for smooth HarmonyOS playback, things aren't so clear-cut with resource-intensive apps. For example, in games like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, stable gameplay is possible at medium-high, but not maximum, graphics settings. However, heat buildup does occur, and throttling gradually becomes apparent. However, power efficiency is decent, easily getting over 9-10 hours of active screen time from the 5750mAh battery. In addition to 66W wired charging, there's also a 50W wireless charger. Storage options are 256GB/512GB, with no microSD card expansion.

The only criticism I can't fault is the photography capabilities. The dual selfie camera with a depth sensor not only produces hundreds of high-quality photos but also improves device security and unlock speed. The main 50MP sensor and 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom boast hybrid stabilization, producing photos and videos that are 99% noise-free, and the 40MP wide-angle module keeps up. A ToF sensor assists this trio. Loud stereo speakers, NFC contactless payments, 5G support, and IP68 water resistance make the device even more appealing to potential buyers. And if you can live with the not-so-powerful CPU and OS quirks, the phablet certainly won't evoke any negative feelings.