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Huawei Editor's Choice 2022

Huawei Mate 50 Pro

Huawei Mate 50 Pro — 50MP Ultra Aperture XMAGE Camera, Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 & Kunlun Glass Review

Display 1212 × 2616 pixels (~428 ppi den...
Performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G...
Size 6.74 inches
Type OLED 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+
Expert Score
4.5
92% Confidence
Community Score
3.8
0% Confidence
AI Score
4.5
91% Confidence
Final Score
4.3
91% Confidence
Storage
RAM
Color
Regional
-68% In Stock
$410 – $580 $1,299

Lowest $350 Save $889 Best: Amazon

Read Reviews

Category Scores

Overall hardware score: 88/100 — revolutionary physical variable aperture 50MP camera, ultra-tough Kunlun Glass, flagship Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processing, and 66W/50W fast charging.

90
92
Performance Excellent

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm) processor del...

93
Display Excellent

6.74-inch curved OLED screen featuring a fluid 1...

96
Camera Excellent

Industry-leading 50MP main sensor with a physica...

85
Battery Great

4700 mAh battery offers solid daily endurance ba...

92
Gaming Excellent

Adreno 730 graphics handle intense 3D mobile gam...

90
AI Excellent

XMAGE image processing pipeline and smart power...

94
Security Excellent

Advanced 3D Face Unlock via physical TOF sensor...

88
Value for Money Great

Great secondhand flagship value for mobile photo...

94
Design Excellent

Symmetrical circular camera array layout with pr...

68
Repairability Good

Sealed flagship construction requiring specializ...

84
Software Support Great

Runs EMUI/HarmonyOS (lacks native Google Mobile...

86
Connectivity Great

4G LTE network support, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2,...

90
Audio Excellent

Rich and balanced stereo loudspeaker configurati...

96
Durability Excellent

IP68 water resistance certified up to 6 meters d...

96
Charging Excellent

66W fast wired charging and 50W wireless chargin...

Specifications

Display 4
Size 6.74 inches
Type OLED, 1B colors, 120Hz, HDR10+
Resolution 1212 × 2616 pixels (~428 ppi density)
Protection Huawei Kunlun Glass
Processor 3
Chipset Key Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm)
CPU Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPU Key Adreno 730
Memory 2
RAM Key 8GB / 12GB
Type LPDDR5
Storage 3
Internal 256GB / 512GB
Expandable Yes, via proprietary Nano Memory slot up to 256GB
Standard UFS 3.1
Battery 2
Capacity 4700 mAh non-removable
Endurance All-day usage
Charging 2
Wired 66W Huawei SuperCharge fast wired charging
Wireless 50W wireless charging, 5W reverse wireless
Camera 3
Main (Ultra Aperture) 50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 24mm, wide, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS (Physical Variable Aperture)
Periscope Telephoto 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm, 3.5x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS
Ultra Wide 13 MP, f/2.2, 120˚, AF
Front Camera 1
Sensor 13 MP, f/2.4 ultra-wide + TOF 3D depth/biometrics sensor
Connectivity 5
Network 4G LTE (No 5G support), dual Nano-SIM
Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band
Bluetooth 5.2
NFC Yes
IR Blaster Yes
Sensors 4
Face Unlock Secure 3D Face Recognition (TOF sensor)
Fingerprint Under display, optical
Accelerometer Yes
Gyroscope Yes
Dimensions 3
Height 162.1 mm
Width 75.5 mm
Depth 8.5 mm
Weight 1
Weight 205 g
Operating System 1
OS EMUI 13 / HarmonyOS 3.0 (No GMS)

Expert Review

By Dickens, Charles

Design

The Huawei Mate 50 Pro features an iconic symmetrical circular camera array on the back with vegan leather or glass finishes, measuring 8.5mm thick and weighing 205g.

Display

The 6.74-inch curved OLED screen delivers vibrant 1B colors, FHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rates, and superior impact protection via Huawei Kunlun Glass.

Performance

Driven by the 4nm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and up to 12GB of RAM, applications, multi-window tasks, and system animations execute fluidly (omits 5G modems).

Gaming

Handles heavy 3D mobile games seamlessly via Adreno 730 graphics under maximum visual settings.

Camera

The breakthrough XMAGE camera array features a 50MP main sensor with a mechanical physical variable aperture (f/1.4 to f/4.0), a 64MP OIS periscope telephoto lens, and a 13MP ultrawide shooter.

Battery

The 4700 mAh battery comfortably powers through daily workloads, supporting 66W wired and 50W wireless fast charging.

Software

Runs EMUI / HarmonyOS with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS), offering clean visual customisations while omitting native Google Play Store services.

Ai

Leverages advanced XMAGE computational engines for realistic color grading, depth mapping, and physical aperture exposure balancing.

Connectivity

Supports 4G LTE networks, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, and an infrared remote control blaster.

Pros

  • Industry-first physical mechanical variable aperture (f/1.4 to f/4.0) on the 50MP main XMAGE sensor
  • Outstanding 64MP periscope telephoto lens with OIS and 3.5x optical zoom
  • Ultra-tough Huawei Kunlun Glass front protection and IP68 deep water resistance (up to 6 meters)
  • Powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4nm processor ensuring responsive everyday execution speed
  • Supports rapid 66W wired and 50W wireless fast charging

Cons

  • Restricted strictly to 4G LTE network connectivity (omits 5G modem support)
  • Operates without native Google Mobile Services (GMS), relying on Huawei AppGallery
  • Storage expansion relies on a proprietary Nano Memory (NM) card rather than standard microSD
The Huawei Mate 50 Pro redefines mobile photography with its industry-unique physical variable aperture camera system, allowing manual or automatic adjustment from f/1.4 to f/4.0. Powered by the 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor (4G connectivity), it features a 6.74-inch 120Hz curved OLED screen protected by ultra-tough Kunlun Glass, a 64MP periscope telephoto lens with OIS, IP68 deep water resistance, stereo speakers, and a 4700 mAh battery supporting 66W wired and 50W wireless charging.

Verdict

A premier camera flagship that introduces physical variable aperture optics and extreme IP68 water resistance, paired with snappy Snapdragon processing.

Final: 4.3/10 Best for: Value seekers Segment: Mid-range

Product Intelligence

50MP Ultra Aperture primary camera featuring a true mechanical variable aperture adjustable from f/1.4 to f/4.0 64MP periscope telephoto zoom lens with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) and 3.5x optical zoom 6.74-inch curved OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and ultra-tough Kunlun Glass protection Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4nm processor delivering robust daily and gaming performance IP68 water resistance certified up to an astonishing 6 meters deep for 30 minutes

Who Should Buy

Mobile photography purists, enthusiasts wanting physical variable aperture camera control, and users valuing extreme IP68 drop and water durability.

Who Should Avoid

Users who strictly require 5G network connectivity or native Google Mobile Services (Google Play Store, Gmail, Google Maps integration out-of-the-box).

Key Takeaways

  • A masterclass in mobile optical engineering, introducing mechanical physical aperture adjustments to consumer smartphones
  • Restricted to 4G LTE network connectivity and operates without native Google Mobile Services (GMS)

Buying Recommendation

Choose the 256GB storage configuration to ensure adequate app space, keeping in mind storage expansion requires a proprietary NM card.

Competitor Comparison

DeviceScorePriceNotes
Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra
Xiaomi 12 Pro

Upgrade Path

Upgrade From Huawei Mate 40 Pro
Benefits
  • Massive jump to physical variable aperture camera optics
  • Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processing power
  • 120Hz screen
  • and Kunlun Glass

Pricing & Price Intelligence

In Stock
Current $410 – $580
Lowest $350
Highest $580
Historical Low $410
Launch $1,299
Average $430
Savings $889
Discount -68%
Confidence 80%
Trend Down

Price Analytics

Best Deal Amazon $410
Best Value Amazon
Stability Low
Buy Timing Good time to buy

Prices are trending down with low stability. Compare offers at Amazon before buying.

Regional Pricing

EU €489

Store Comparison

Store Price Shipping Availability Rating
Amazon $410 In Stock Buy
Huawei Official (Historic) $1,299 In Stock Buy

Variant Pricing

Colors

  • Orange (Vegan Leather) $410 – $580
  • Silver $410 – $580
  • Black $410 – $580

Storage

  • 256GB $350
  • 512GB $440

Ram

  • 8GB $410 – $580
  • 12GB $480
Low: 410 High: 1299 Avg: 854.5 Volatility: 52.02%

Track Price

Alternatives

Huawei Mate 60 Pro View device

Upgrades to Kirin 5G-capable silicon, adds satellite calling, and introduces a triple punch-hole display layout

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