Review: Huawei Mate 9
Huawei crafted an attractive and powerful smartphone in the Mate 9. It's a gorgeous piece of hardware that delivers excellent performance across the board. The Mate 9 stands tall amidst the top echelon of handsets.
There's no question the Mate 9 is Huawei at its best. The unibody chassis is finely sculpted and the glass face matched perfectly to the frame. The screen is enormous at 5.9 inches and bright to boot, but some may wish Huawei had opted for higher resolution. It's a decent voice phone, and a better data machine. Battery life is absolutely killer.
I'm happy Android 7 is aboard, but not so happy to see it so thoroughly hidden by Emotion UI. The Mate 9's software is a bit overbearing at times, though Huawei does give people plenty of ways to adjust and control their experience. The camera app is a pretty good tool for taking photographs, and the dual-Leica lens system provides rich photos that people will be happy to share.
The Mate 9 is an excellent option to the iPhones and Galaxies of the world, as long as you have the cash. At $750, it's not cheap. Further, the phone is only available online and there are no monthly financing options available. The Huawei Mate 9 is among the best unlocked phones you can buy.