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Score: 7/10
Verdict: Good hardware, good camera, but it’s left in no-man’s land between affordable and flagship.
IT’S BEEN A BUSY period for Huawei. At the start of the year, it had the mid-range GX8 before releasing the P9 shortly after. After that, many companies would be happy to keep it at that but now the Mate S, a device that nestles itself in-between the P9 and GX8, has also been released.
Announced back in September, it has only made its way to Ireland in recent weeks but how does it fare in a crowded market?
Getting the right build
To its credit, the Mate S is a well built device. It shares more in common with the higher end Huawei devices including the impressive Nexus 6P.
If the design wasn’t rough around the edges, a somewhat literal criticism as the flat sides does make it less comfortable to hold, it would be up there with the best of them.
Yet despite that, it does feel rather compact considering it’s a 5.5-inch device and it’s one of the stronger parts of what is a very solid build.
The fingerprint scanner is probably placed a little too high for easy access but it does bring it with a number of ideas. Things like swiping it down to bring up notifications may seem insignificant but they’re useful.
Great hardware, same old problems
If there’s one part that the Mate S really excels, it’s performance. You can have numerous apps open and it won’t have much problem keeping up with whatever you throw at it.
In day-to-day use, you certainly won’t have any trouble running the more intensive games and titles like Lara Croft GO are incredibly smooth to play. Combine that with a sharp 1080p screen and on the surface, it shapes up pretty nicely.
Yet one of the major cons, and one that’s been covered here enough times, is Huawei’s software Emotion. In short, it follows Apple iOS’s template, but uses Android and is generally inconsistent with its ideas. When they work, they’re usually Huawei’s own ideas, but it falters when it tries too hard to be iOS.
There are other elements that have potential but don’t quite make it like split-screen mode which is limited as it only works with Huawei’s own apps. The lack of third-party integration is a missed opportunity for it.
The other annoying part is its insistence on telling you to shut down apps to conserve battery life. Using only Spotify yet getting a notification telling you to turn it off to conserve battery power gets annoying rather quickly.
And those notifications aren’t appearing for no reason either. A single charge will just about get you through the day, even when you take its advice.
So much of the Mate S is really repeating what went before it. The software is still running on Lollipop so it feels a little dated when compared to the P9 but even putting that aside, Emotion is still an uneasy union of Android core and iOS looks.
The camera is generally good. The rate in which smartphone cameras have progressed in the past few months means it doesn’t match the best ones, but it’s still very solid all the same.
It helped that the weather was mostly sunny when testing it as the camera tends to exaggerate the colours a little, something that doesn’t fare as well in dull conditions.
Should you buy one?
The Mate S is one of the better performing devices out there and has the hardware to back it up, placing it on a middle ground between flagship and mid-range.
Yet that could be its biggest stumbling block. It already covers a lot of the same ground as the GX8 and P9 meaning the main question is what your budget is. If this came out before the spring, the decision would be more straightforward, but you can get very similar devices for cheaper or go the extra mile and pay for a higher-end device.
A lower price would make this a more attractive proposition, but you should take a few things into consideration first before you part with your cash.
Pros
- Good, solid build.
- Great hardware and screen.
- Some nice little touches with software.
Cons
- Emotion UI still a mess.
- Battery life iffy.
- Very little to differentiate itself from GX8 and P9.
The Huawei Mate S costs €459 on prepay/starts at free on billpay and is available in Three.
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As election time is fast approaching some of these back benchers are getting worried about their seats and more importantly the gravy train, they are fluffing their feathers in an effort to pretend they care about us ordinary voters, in reality they have constantly proven they don’t give a rats ass……
An the voters have constantly voted them into power.
Well there is no option they are all the same party makes no difference
That’s the spirit. Sure what can we do? Best leave it as is and have a good old whine about it.
Agree look at the teacher wan with the peroxide hair( in Meath or somewhere) who has jumped from Labour to FF !!!
You missed the point… It’s time for real change.
Ok good. So what is that change, In your opinion?
Do away with the whip system would be a start, make them vote with their conscience assuming they have one, make executive more accountable, I’m no expert but that seems like a good start to me
Who cares as these guys have absolutely nothing to do with the coming budget….tossers the lot of them….excuse my french
100% correct. Germany and to a much lesser extent the “economic council” will sort it out :-) ….. So we can expect more of the same
At odds over Budget? Can they not just get one person to translate it from German and email it on?
So what’s on offer is getting more screwed in the short term or the long term.
Depending on if we meet over-optimistic growth targets.
Brilliant.
@ElasticPooch
If only it was that easy the tender to translate the budget from German to Irish than into english must be drawn up and published all over the EU, Before its awarded to pwc or Goodbodies, some may say.
Yeah, sure here now Deco will you come along to the Lockout2013 when it kicks off or are we gonna sit on our holes tweetin about this sham of a government forever?
At odds yeah right there up there sipping pints and laughing their backsides of at us
Just dissolve the government. Labour are going to end up a shadow of their former values, and Fine Gael will be in opposition next time around anyway.
At this point, retaining the current government has more to do with vanity than belief for Kenny & Co.
Hayes is a trumped up arrogant fooker. He likes playing with numbers be it 4% or 5%. The reality of mass human suffering caused by this juggling act to satisfy the markets ( Troika, Germany) doesn’t seem to concern him. Those of us lucky to have jobs are now slaves to an insurmountable debt. Those young enough and skilled are hopping on the nearest plane to escape, and yet Hayes and his ilk slavishly pursue this failed policy. Their will be no one left to applaud Hayes when he sees our deficit reach 4% as the country will be broken and empty.
On the other hand it’s just probably the usual good cop bad cop routine, float Armageddon and deliver something a bit more cosier than Hell, and the idiots will sigh in relief.
So Rob you want FF (who destroyed the country) or SF ( who destroyed the country) to lead us – Jaysus I’m outta here !
Sf destroyed the country? Explain that one for me go on I could do with a laugh!
25 years of murdering its people north & south !
Institutionalised abuse of women and children, selling off of fisheries, mineral reserves to the lowest bidder, loss of sovereignty, apartheid up north ignored thus empowering the ira, collusion with loyalist death squads/British secret services in terror campaigns, collusion with US war machine via Shannon, enforcement of banker led raid on public finances and troika economic enslavement, generations of emigration, etc, etc….
This can all be played at the feet of SF is that right? Because the last time I checked it was FF/FG led governments that gave us the banana republic, in all its 90 odd years of glorious failure, whole ad have spent their time representing people north and south that this government had too much contempt for to even acknowledge
Hang on a minute now, FF FG and Labour all have their own history of murder as you call it.
All the Shinners coming out from under their rocks – beware people be afraid
Excellent response Elrat
@Rob. Just dissolve the government?? This isn’t Egypt (thankfully)
Another FGer seeking out the media limelight
I mean Labour, but they are practically indistiguishable at this stage I suppose
Hold on… maybe it’s FFafter all? :)
Labour will be extinct after the next general election
As should the real culprits FF
This is merely a game & a smokescreen, expect far more of this kind of stuff coming up to the budget, Labour are screwed, their Local Election candidates & EU candidates are getting worried of wipeout & this is merely semantics to give the Electorate the impression they are standing up to FG! -They are wasting their time, do they think we are stupid?
Labour sold out to their Voters, they Lied, Lied, Lied!
Payback is only 9 months away!
Labour hopefully will be extinct after next election. More right wing than Fine Gael.
When are Labour going to pull a green party move, come out with a statement we couldn’t abide with the decisions being made anymore that are affecting every citizen in the country, so we are ending the coalition with fg. It’s amazing what these bastards will do to save face and in the hope the public will forgive them in the next election. The Irish people have the worse memories in the world because they keep voting these gits in at every other election. Voted out next election then voted back in election after that.
Is this the start of the orchestrated move for Labour to walk to try and save themselves? Too little too late methinks.
The sooner FG drop labour the better. There is a need for a fully fledged, right wing party in Ireland. It would give the country some stability and shut the bleeding hearts up for a while.
Thomas you clearly have a deep infatuation with Enda Kenny.
Whatever he’s paying you/doing for you, realise that you’re still talking total bollocks.
Sounds like something that happened in Germany during the 30′s, think the Italians tried it too and maybe the Spanish dabbled in it as well. Not sure how it worked out for them
Couldn’t agree more Thomas, it worked a treat for Germany and Italy in the 30′s and Spain well into the 70′s. And we shall call him Heir Kenny, and he shall gather round him like minded Blonde quiffed warriors, and before them they shall rid the country of the poor and sick, leaving only those healthy and wealthy, and corrupt enough to rule the meek whom shall provide for them monies, some of which they will keep and more they will hand over to their cousins in the “Troika”.
Rob, “Thomas” has a newly opened twitter account. He is a troll of the highest order. Check his profile ,he has already send aggressive tweets to people who have called him out on his tweets.
Thomas maybe you should go and lie down before your crazy rants land you in the crazy house………….or better yet just take your head out of enda’s rear end and get some much needed air and reality!
Can I’ve a loan of your iron for a minute dude… My natzi uniform has a crease in it..!
Questions: Do the public have access to the budget and fiscal year end information regarding budget achievement?
Anyone else think he sounds like that knacker Cowan? Might need a PR alteration there.
Why didn’t they just put a picture of Rodney on the cover shot. Jeysus what a plonker
Contradiction: Gives out politicians using the media to further an agenda. Uses the media to further his own agenda.
Send the junior ministers to the naughty step.
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