Huawei Mate 50 Pro Review: Variable Aperture Really Works

Asia Huawei Mate 50 Pro Review: Variable Aperture Really Works Ben Sin Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. I cover consumer tech in Asia Following New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories. Got it! Nov 4, 2022, 01:45am EDT | Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Huawei Mate 50 Pro Ben Sin This doesn’t get talked about enough in the tech media scene, but most of the major camera features that Apple, Google, and Samsung have adopted in the last three years were first seen in a Huawei smartphone.

This includes using a larger image sensor for better light intake; a more pixel-dense camera for the purpose of pixel-binning; image stacking to recreate the effects of a long exposure shot; and an L-shaped camera that sits sideways inside the phone to allow stronger image magnification (zoom). Long story short, before sanctions derailed the growth of Huawei’s phone business, the Chinese tech giant’s phones were leading the pack in mobile camera breakthroughs. Huawei is attempting to recreate the magic with its latest Mate 50 Pro, which comes two years after the last Mate phone , and brings a new camera system headlined by a main camera with 10 stops of variable aperture.

This is no software trickery. Instead, there is a physical mechanical shutter that opens wider or closes smaller (to control light intake and depth-of-field) around the 50-megapixel main camera. In the collage below, notice the camera shutter changes in size depending on the aperture.

Three images showing the Mate 50 Pro’s main camera’s physical aperture shutter. ben Sin Because a smartphone camera lens is still relatively tiny compared to a real camera, don’t expect the aperture change to bring about drastic differences in lighting, but you can clearly see a shallower depth-of-field at a faster stop (f/1. 4) compared to a slower f/4.

MORE FOR YOU The ‘Backsies’ Billionaire: Texan Builds Second Fortune From Wreckage Of Real Estate Empire He’d Sold Study Finds That Regular Physical Activity Enhances Vaccine Effectiveness Against Covid-19. Shark Finning By One Of China’s Largest Fishing Fleets Is Worse Than We Thought Switching from a f/1. 4 to f/4 aperture Ben Sin A faster aperture also has a faster shutter speed, which is more ideal for shooting fast-moving subjects.

Because this is an actual physical shutter that moves, the difference in lighting, depth-of-field, and shutter speed are all applicable to videos too. However, is this really needed? We are at a time when computational photography is the buzzword du jour in smartphone photography, with phones like the Google Pixel having long prioritized software image processing over chasing camera hardware trends. I’ve snapped dozens of photos with the Huawei Mate 50 Pro side-by-side against phones like the iPhone 14 Pro, Google Pixel 7 Pro, and Xiaomi 12S Ultra, which all have a fixed aperture, and rarely did Huawei’s variable aperture made a huge difference.

I can see niche use cases where being able to manually stopping down would help a shot get more of a frame in focus, but Google, Apple and Xiaomi’s software smarts are strong enough to usually offset that. But luckily, Huawei’s computational photography is no slouch either. With the Mate 50 Pro Huawei is introducing a new image processing engined named “XMAGE” and it is said to be handling image processing earlier in the image pipeline process so the final shot retains more of the original raw data’s integrity.

I can’t vouch for whether XMAGE has made any fundamental difference to how a smartphone handle image processing, but my eyes tell me the Mate 50 Pro can grab gorgeous, stunning images that often beat the latest iPhone or Google in dynamic range. In the below image, shot against backlight with the indoor setting covered in shadows, notice Huawei’s image exhibits more vibrant colors with a larger range of dynamic range. Mate 50 Pro (left), iPhone 14 Pro Max (right).

Ben Sin Generally, the Mate 50 Pro can shoot against really harsh backlight and still properly expose images. Mate 50 Pro main camera Ben Sin Mate 50 Pro ultra-wide camera Ben Sin There was a stretch a few years ago when Huawei phones were heads and shoulders above everyone else in terms of snapping low light photos. This was due to Huawei’s usage of a larger image sensor, RYYB filtering array, and night mode technology.

In the years since, other phone brands have closed the gap, but the Mate 50 Pro is still arguably the best low light camera around because it doesn’t really need light mode. The below shots were snapped at 1am in the suburbs. The basketball hoop was completely dark to my eyes.

I took the shots with the Mate 50 Pro and Google’s Pixel 7 Pro. The former snapped the shot immediately, while the latter used a three second night mode. Despite this, the results still tip in favor of Huawei’s shots, with more natural colors.

I stress again — the real life scene was nearly pitch black at the time. Mate 50 Pro (left), Pixel 7 Pro (right). Ben Sin There’s not enough space in this article to thoroughly go over all the camera features offered by the Mate 50 Pro, so for those interested in learning more about the entire system, my video below shows in-depth testing, as well as photo samples against other top phones.

But the long story short version is the Huawei Mate 50 Pro’s camera systems are excellent, but the variable aperture hardware is a bit of a niche feature for now. The rest of the hardware ranges from good to great, with one notable exception. The Mate 50 Pro is a typical modern slab flagship phone, with a 6.

7-inch curved OLED screen with refresh rate up to 120Hz. The front glass is reinforced by this technology Huawei has dubbed “Kunlun glass. ” Huawei claims it’s 10x more shatter resistance than “typical smartphone screens.

” This is one feature I have not tested, as I have not dropped the phone and do not plan to do so. Mate 50 Pro screen Ben Sin The screens looks nearly flawless and gets bright enough for outdoor use. However, there is a sizable notch that eats into the screen, and it’s an eye sore in my opinion.

Sure, Huawei makes use of the cutout, housing an ultra-wide selfie camera along with a 3D facial scanning camera. But the Huawei Mate 40 Pro that came out in 2020 also offered a 3D face scanning system in a smaller pill-shaped cutout. Of course, the iPhone famously did the same this year.

I have never been a fan of the notch, and seeing it in late 2022 is jarring when almost all other phones have solved the problem. But if you’re wondering, the Mate 50 Pro’s facial scanning system works well, and in the dark. Mate 50 Pro Ben Sin The backside of the phone is covered by this textured vegan leather finish (there are other versions using traditional glass backs), and the attention grabbing gold colored camera module is crafted out of pure metal for a premium and sturdy feel.

The phone feels comfortable to hold in the hand, not too thick or heavy at 8. 5mm and 209g. It’s got IP68 water- and dust-resistance, as well as stereo speakers and wireless charging for that 4,700 mAh battery that can last all day.

Powering the phone is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, which is the newest chip from Qualcomm, but unfortunately it’s the 4G version of the chip, because U. S. sanctions prevent Huawei from sourcing 5G chips from Qualcomm.

Yes, those same sanctions prevent the phone from using Google apps too, but this is old news. You can still access many Google services such as YouTube via the web browser, or Gmail via Microsoft Outlook, so the lack of Google apps isn’t as crippling as some may think. Otherwise, the software experience is very reminiscent of Android, although I find Huawei’s app icon aesthetics to be a bit long in the tooth now.

MORE FROM FORBES How To Set Up A New Huawei Phone To Run Mostly Normal Without Google By Ben Sin The phone plays very nicely with Huawei’s ecosystem. So if you own a Huawei PC or tablet, you can sync the Mate 50 Pro to it with a tap and control your phone on the larger computing device and move files around via drag-and-drop. The Mate 50 Pro in black.

Ben Sin The Huawei Mate 50 Pro launched in China a couple months ago where it sold very well, but in Europe, it’s priced at €1,300, which is very high for a phone with some notable software and connectivity ommissions. Granted, these compromises are outside Huawei consumer group’s control, which makes the matter more frustrating. I wish this phone could be allowed to go at full strength where it can compete at a level playing field.

In other regions of Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, the Mate 50 Pro is priced a bit lower, but still higher than what Xiaomi or Google is asking for their flagships. Ultimately, the Mate 50 Pro will still appeal to enthusiasts or fans of the brand, but for the average consumer, it’s a tough sell. The good news? They do exist.

I’ve been asked by several readers and YouTube viewers how to purchase a Mate 50 Pro in recent weeks. Follow me on LinkedIn . Check out my website or some of my other work here .

Ben Sin Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.