13 Reviews
Stuff
100
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is a masterclass in how to push phone tech to its limits.
It has the most tech-packed camera around, fits an almost unfeasible amount into what is a bafflingly compact frame and is also one of the best-looking phones around.
It really does have the lot. And the niggles? We’d love a louder speaker, a headphone jack and a more powerful GPU. But aside from that headphone port, those shortcomings are only obvious when you have all the rivals there for a side-by-side comparison.
T3
100
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is one of, if not the, best phones ever made. It delivers an experience that leaves absolutely nothing to be desired and, for all real-world intents and purposes, it is perfect. It’s a phone that you’ll soon fall in love with, and one that confirms Huawei’s position as the most ambitious, pioneering smartphone maker in the world right now.
- Gorgeous, premium design
- Bright and vivid OLED, HDR display
- Kirin 980 CPU is insanely fast
- Leica-made camera system is superb
- Futuristic in-display fingerprint reader
- Capacious 4,200 mAh battery
- Android 9.0 Pie out of the box
- None of note
ZDNet
92
Huawei has thrown everything including the kitchen sink at the Mate 20 Pro, which costs €1,049, and for the most part the results are pleasing. It has a great screen (although the long-edge curvature needs some attention), super battery life, a very good camera system, good in-screen fingerprint recognition, a very fast processor and plenty of internal storage.
Overall, Huawei has put itself right at the top of the flagship handset pile.
- Beautiful hardware design
- Sharp, clear OLED screen
- 3D Face Unlock and triple rear cameras
- Efficient in-screen fingerprint recognition
- Wireless charging and fast charging
- Great battery life
- IP68 dust/water resistance
- Curved screen edges make text a little ‘fuzzy’
- Proprietary Nano Memory card expansion format
- No 3.5mm headset jack
Engadget
92
Surprisingly, almost perfect.
There’s no such thing as the perfect smartphone, but the Mate 20 Pro is arguably as close as you can get right now. The Huawei device is unmatched in camera versatility, and on top of that it has every premium feature imaginable, like an in-screen fingerprint reader and the ability to wirelessly charge other phones. The Mate 20 Pro doesn’t come cheap, but it’s worth it.
- Incredible cameras
- Plenty of premium features like an in-screen fingerprint reader
- Large high-resolution display
- Long battery life
- That Twilight finish
- Easily scuffed screen
- Only takes proprietary storage cards
- EMUI looks dated
- No US availability
Forbes
90
The Most Featured Packed Phone Of 2018.
My first impressions of the Huawei Mate 20 Pro was about as positive as a first look can be. Like many other tech writers, I was impressed by the laundry list of features that covered just about everything one could demand from a phone in fall 2018. After using the phone heavily for a week, I can confirm that the initial excitement is justified, though some of Huawei’s quirks remain.
At 1,049 euro (around $1,217), the Mate 20 Pro is not cheap.
Digital Trends
90
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is as cutting-edge as phones get, and with the superb camera, beautiful screen, and more than enough power — plus Huawei’s Born Fast, Stay Fast technology to ensure Android doesn’t slow down over time — this is a phone that will likely still feel fresh and exciting in two years time.
- Beautiful screen
- Feature-packed, pro-quality camera
- Great battery life
- Stunning modern design
- More features than you’ll know what to do with
- In-display fingerprint sensor can frustrate
- No U.S. availability
Android Central
90
The Mate 20 Pro is the biggest and best smartphone that Huawei has ever made. It has an in-display fingerprint sensor, 3D face unlock, reverse wireless charging, a great display and all-round excellent hardware. The camera is one of the best and the battery life is fantastic. The software is vastly improved but won’t be for everyone, and you’ll need to import it, but this is one of the best smartphones on the market.
- Stunning hardware
- Great 3D face unlock
- Excellent camera
- Super fast 40W charging
- Outstanding display
- Incredible battery life
- No headphone jack
- Steep price tag
- You have to import it
- Software isn’t for everyone
Wired
90
The most tech-filled phone of the year.
Huawei’s packed the Mate 20 Pro full of tech and has sensational camera performance in wide-angle and low-light shots.
Huawei has applied technology in more tasteful ways than it ever has before. It’s used to fit a large screen into a phone narrower, and therefore easier to handle, than the competition. Just like the Huawei P20 Pro, the camera is the highlight.
- Fantastic camera versatility
- Big screen, small frame
- Tries hard to justify its high price
- No headphone jack
- In-screen finger scanner needs to be more reliable
TechRadar
90
Huawei has the best from Apple and Samsung in its sights with its powerful, full-featured flagship – and it’s worth the cost, if you can stomach a four-figure pricetag. A top-tier phone for a top-tier price.
- Top-of-the-line specs in a classy design
- Three cameras, including a great wide-angle lens
- World-first features on a mainstream phone, like in-screen fingerprint
- Pricey. So pricey.
- Camera’s HDR elements aren’t as good as Google Pixel 3, iPhone XS
- Basic UI, complex nest of settings, little tutorial help
Tom's Guide
90
Killer Camera, Great Performance: Huawei has done it again with the Mate 20 Pro, producing an exceptional camera wrapped in a sleek design with extra-long battery life.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is one of the best-looking handsets on the market, backed by a leading camera and a powerful battery. The only letdown is the software, the occasional gimmick on show and the frustrating lack of a U.S. release.
- Fantastic camera
- In-screen fingerprint reader
- Great design
- Very long battery life
- Can wirelessly charge other phones
- No monochrome camera lens
- UI could be more intuitive
- No headphone jack
- Lack of U.S. availability
Mashable
85
Android’s dark horse champion.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is the best smartphone you can currently buy. But choosing a smartphone is not just about how feature-packed it is, or how nice it looks. Huawei doesn’t have the brand power of Apple or Samsung. And there’s the elephant in the room: the Mate 20 Pro won’t even launch in the U.S.
- Amazingly versatile camera
- Every feature under the sun
- Great battery life
- Fast performance
- Software needs polish
- Pricey
Android Police
80
Sweet cameras, sour software.
Notch aside, the Mate 20 Pro is thin and sleek, somehow fitting in 4 cameras, depth sensors, and a huge battery into a very small frame.
Like the P20 Pro, the triple camera setup makes for some of the best photos on a smartphone.
Another major plus is the incredible battery life I got from this thing.
Some users probably don’t mind EMUI, but as far as I’m concerned it offers one of the worst software experiences on an Android phone, to the point where I actually found it unenjoyable in daily use.
The Verge
80
With the Mate 20 Pro, Huawei set itself the goal of beating the Galaxy Note 9, and I’m a little surprised to conclude that Huawei has succeeded.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro is a good phone, with some great and unique features, and once its price falls to become more attainable, it’ll be a real contender.
- Battery lasts and lasts
- Blistering performance
- Gorgeous display
- 3D face unlock is fast and reliable
- Textured rear glass improves grip, resists scratches and fingerprints
- Camera lacks the dynamic range of the Google Pixel
- Master AI image processing isn’t yet consistent enough to be trusted
- Some software bugs and annoyances