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Johannesburg - Chinese manufacturer, Huawei may be releasing one of the best smartphones this year with the launch of the Mate 10 Pro scheduled for the beginning of November.
The large-format Mate 10 Pro will be launched in South Africa along with a limited edition Porsche Design model - which could the most expensive smartphone ever launched in South Africa - even amid the impending launch of Apple’s 10th anniversary, iPhone X.
With the launch of the Mate 10 Pro, Huawei is refining its already extensive market share in South Africa by introducing the ‘Pro’ device, never brought to the country before.
The Mate 10 Pro will directly compete with the likes of the Samsung’s Note8, Apple’s iPhone 8 Plus and other phablet smartphones.
The Chinese electronics firm has also reengineered its Mate offering to redesign the way the smartphone is used.
Desktop
With the launch of the Samsung S8, the South Korean giant introduced the its Dex auxiliary docking device which effectively turns the smartphone into a desktop computer, when plugged in a monitor or TV.
After being paired with a Bluetooth keyboard, the device operates as a fully functioning desktop PC.
Using the same concept, the Mate 10 smartphone performs the same functions at a fraction of the cost - with the Samsung Dex priced at around R1 399 and a USB-C port to HDMI costing around R150 to R200.
While being used as a desktop, the smartphone still operates as normal, with notifications staying on the device, without being shared to the display it is being splashed on.
Artificial Intelligence
The latest devices from the smartphone maker hope to make Artificial Intelligence better via its Kirin 970 chipsets, the billed as the world’s first true AI processor for smartphones.
According to Akhram Mohamed, Huawei product marketing director, the AI built into the device will allow it to perform functions that may only be released in the next few months.
“We are a hardware company not a software company, but we are confident that in a few months' time when new software is launched, the device will be able to read what food is on your plate and how many calories you are consuming,” Mohamed said.
Camera
Huawei has implemented dual camera technology with German optics company Leica since the launch of the P9 smartphone, but AI has since been used to enhance its functionality.
The dual camera with AI can read the image being captured and then adapt settings to shooti objects ranging from plants and animals, to text and other objects.
Through other apps, the device can even translate a full text document into another language in three seconds.
The Mate 10 features a 5.9 inch screen with a 16:9 display ratio, and the 6 inch Mate 10 Pro boasts a 18:9 OLED (organic light-emitting diode) display.
South Africa will be among the first countries to have the Mate series smartphones, with all devices slated for launch on November 6.
