What do you know about Chinese phones? Are they cheap, made of plastic, and poorly adapted for Russia? Whatever the case! Huawei Ascend Mate 7 breaks all our stereotypes. It's big, has serious specs, a metal body and a fingerprint scanner. And it's also expensive. More precisely - on the level. Here's a Chinese guy! However, let's figure it out.

I already wrote earlier about the Russian one, dedicated to the new smartphone. If you haven’t had time to read it, don’t worry. That was just a first glance, and now together with you we will analyze everything in detail. In that Huawei review Ascend Mate 7 I will share my two-week experience of using the phone as my main device. I’ll tell you about the pros and cons of the device, what pitfalls await potential buyers of the device and, of course, we’ll talk about the price. The latter is becoming especially acute these days, but I will say in advance that not everything is so simple. Go!

Equipment

The solid black box made of thick cardboard contains a microUSB power cable, a 5V and 2A adapter, a simple headset, a special clip for removing the SIM card and, of course, the Mate 7.

The packaging as a whole is tasteful, high quality and creates the feeling that this is an expensive item. The accessories do not make such an impression: ordinary little laces made of white plastic. Go ahead.

Design and ergonomics

The first thing that catches your eye is the frame. They are thin (about 2.9 mm), and the screen occupies 83 percent of the entire area of ​​the front side of the smartphone. For comparison, in the iPhone 6 Plus this figure is 73%, and in the Samsung GALAXY Note 4 - 80%.

Despite the fact that the engineers tried to make the case as compact as possible, the dimensions still make themselves felt. The device is big and even very big. Due to the beveled corners at the back, the Mate 7 fits relatively well in the palm of your hand.

However, it is impossible to operate it with one hand.

Due to the all metal body, it is a bit slippery. Of course, not the same as, but the risk of accidentally dropping the gadget is still present.

I propose to immediately compare the dimensions of our hero with his main competitors:

A smartphone can easily replace a tablet if you do not use the latter as a work tool. However, the taste and color, as you know...

The main part of the body is machined from a single piece of metal. On the top and bottom of the back you can see that plastic inserts are used. The phone antennas are hidden under them.

The main camera eye protrudes slightly above the surface, but the fingerprint scanner platform, on the contrary, is slightly recessed.

To the left of the camera is a single-section LED flash. And below, under small perforations in the metal, there is a multimedia speaker. The sound through it is quite loud. It will most likely be difficult to miss a call on a noisy street.

Above the screen there are the usual “senses” of any modern device: a light and proximity sensor, an LED responsible for various notifications, a front camera peephole and a speaker grid.

Below, on the front surface there is nothing except the brand name. Touch keys are part of the interface and can be configured from the menu, as well as hidden when needed or always.

On the right side there are volume keys and a wake-up button.

The left side is occupied by two trays, one of which is used as a carrier for a SIM card (Micro standard), the other for a memory card.

On the top edge there is a microphone hole and a 3.5 mm audio output, and on the bottom there is another microphone and a microUSB connector.

The overall impression of the smartphone is very positive. The thing is really high quality, reliable and looks expensive. And this is Chinese, for a moment.

There are three color variations of smartphones found in nature:

We tested it with a silver model, but I recommend taking a look at the dark version. The latter looks very noble.

By the way, another version of the smartphone will soon be available in China. The word “Monarch” will be added to the name, which means there will be 64 GB of memory on board and an extended warranty. Under the latter, the user can be sure that his phone will be repaired in just one hour if any problem arises with it. The price for a VIP class ticket is set at $710. However, all this is completely irrelevant for Russia.

Smartphone display

It is based on an IPS matrix with a diagonal of six inches and a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The pixel density per inch does not exceed 368 ppi. I am convinced that QuadHD is not what even a modern flagship with a similar diagonal needs. It will be very difficult to discern the difference, so good old Full HD is more than enough here. At the same time, it saves processor and battery resources.

Viewing angles, brightness, contrast (1500:1) - everything is in perfect order. The colors are moderately rich, close to natural. Let's see how everything really looks.

From the settings, you can play with the gamma parameters: from cold to warmer shades. This is normal functionality from Huawei.

The screen is covered with a glass panel called Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The coating is actually very resistant to scratches and the accumulation of grease from fingers.

Technical characteristics of Huawei Ascend Mate 7:

• HiSilicon Kirin 925 processor (8 cores)
• special chip Sensor Management Unit i3 (230 MHz)
• Mali T628 graphics accelerator
• RAM 2 (about 906 MB available) or 3 GB
• internal memory 16 or 32 GB (25.30 GB actually available)
• microSD memory card support (up to 128 GB)
• 6’’ display with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (368 ppi)
• main camera 13 MP, aperture f/ 2.0
• front camera 5 MP
• sensors: gyroscope, light sensor, accelerometer, compass, fingerprint scanner
• microUSB 2.0 (OTG), audio jack
• lithium polymer battery (non-removable) 4100 mAh
• OS Android 4.4.2
• shell version EMUI 3.0

• 2G, 3G, 4G LTE (cat6, FDD bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28 and TDD 40)
• Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, no infrared sensor
• aGPS / GLONASS

Any flagship needs the very best processor. Here, this is the HiSilicon Kirin 925, which is based on 4 CortexA15 cores operating at 1.8 GHz, as well as four less productive CortexA7 cores clocked at 1.3 GHz.

In addition, this system on the chip also has:

• Sensor Management Unit i3 coprocessor, responsible for processing data from various sensors devices,
• graphics based on Mali T628
• additional HiFi3 core working with audio stream
• network modem supporting LTE (Cat 6)
• RAM LPDDR3
• separate camera and display controllers
• as well as an area that supports hardware-level encryption

It is reported that big.LITTLLE 8 technology provides the HiSilicon solution with a 15% performance increase compared to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 and 20% greater energy efficiency. By the way, our hero’s brains are built using 28-nanometer technology.

On the back side there is a fingerprint sensor that recognizes fingerprints (up to 5 pieces) in any orientation. You can place your finger upside down, on the side, or in some other way - recognition will occur correctly and very quickly. The sensor works great. Engineers have worked hard on this.

But what else can be said about the configurations. The gold model of the smartphone, in addition to a slightly higher price (we'll come back to this later) and the corresponding color, can offer the owner 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage and support for two SIM cards (Nano SIM is responsible for LTE networks). Personally, I liked the dark variation the most, and I would like to have the specifications as in the Premium model. What a dilemma!

Performance

Yes, the figures are very high - at the level of flagships in the second half of 2014, unless, of course, you count OnePlus One, which was announced in the spring. However, the same Samsung Galaxy Alpha or even Lenovo Vibe X2 scores approximately the same number of points, although they cost an order of magnitude cheaper.

In general, everything is very relative and only one thing is clear: Mate 7 is still a high-performance, modern smartphone.

When it comes to gaming, there are no surprises here. All modern toys run at maximum settings without any problems.

No, there are no brakes, lags or other troubles, but the picture is still not 100% smooth. About 85-90%, let's say.

System optimization plays an important role. Considering that Huawei programmers have no problems with this, the updated EMUI 3.0 shell is perfectly debugged here. I didn't notice anything criminal. Everything flies and flutters as it should. However, one day the device turned off the moment I logged into Google Play. Anything can happen.

The front photo sensor is capable of taking pictures with a resolution of 5 megapixels or 2592 x 1952 pixels, and can record video in Full HD format. By the way, there is an F 2.4 lens installed here.

Additional shooting modes include the ability to create photos with sound, attach information about the current weather and date to the frame, and also take panoramic selfies. It's fashionable, there's no escape.

There are a lot of ways to photograph your loved one: shooting by tapping on the screen, releasing the shutter on a timer, when a smile is detected, voice control, and so on. It is worth mentioning separately that the fingerprint scanner can serve as a touch key for taking pictures. We have already encountered this in the review of Samsung GALAXY Note 4. This is a handy feature that is worth adopting.

Ascend 7 main camera

Photos are obtained with a resolution of 4160 x 3120 pixels, in other words 13 megapixels. The lens aperture value is F 2.0.

I liked the quality of the output photos. The camera may not be the best in existence, but it’s definitely one of the best. He won't fall flat on his face.

An archive with photographs for detailed study can be downloaded.

This is what a 100% crop looks like:

The pictures come out very decent even in low light conditions. Especially for this, I conducted a test at various ISO values ​​in a dark room with the device mounted on a tripod. Let's look at an example...

The preset modes include retouching portraits, creating panoramas, applying ready-made filters, and more. There are few scenarios, but everything is compensated by the settings.

For better frame saturation, you should use the HDR setting; in addition, the parameters set ISO, white balance and adjust the brightness, saturation or contrast of the picture. In conditions of cloudy winter weather in Russia, this opportunity will not be superfluous.

The device is capable of recording video in 1920 x 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. And there is a functionality failure here. Firstly, the smartphone is not capable of shooting 4K video, and secondly, there is no recording of videos at an increased frequency of 60 or 120 fps.

Among the additional parameters, there are only tracking autofocus and an image stabilization function. By the way, the last one was not useful to me. The videos are already smooth and look pretty decent. Let's look at an example.

Multimedia

The sound quality of the headphones is quite comparable to that of competitors. However, due to the improvement of DTS (Digital Theater System), the sound stream is somewhat expanded. You can only notice the difference by comparing the quality directly with one of the competitors. In my case it was the iPhone 5S, which, by the way, lost in this regard to the Mate 7.

The music player is very ascetic in terms of functionality. There is support for playlists, sorting tracks by various criteria, and auto-switching off playback after a specified period of time. That's probably all.

The video player is even simpler. Pause, rewind, next track - nothing more interesting.

Audiophiles will be interested in the list of supported formats:

• MP3, MIDI, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, PCM, WMA

As for video, the smartphone can play the following right out of the box:

• Video codecs: MPEG-4, H.264, H.263, VP8, RV7-10, Xvid, WMV9
• Video file formats: *.3gp, *.mp4, *.m4a, *.rm, *.rmvb, *.wmv

Ascend Mate 7 battery life

The device has a very capacious lithium-polymer battery with a capacity of 4100 mAh. Not bad, right? With moderate use, namely: two hours of Internet via Wi-Fi, constant notifications via 4G, taking a couple of dozen photos per day, the device will definitely last one and a half to two days. Daily charging is only needed if you are an avid gamer or a fan of watching a couple of episodes of some TV series on your phone screen.

Due to its capacious battery and good optimization of energy consumption, the smartphone can be ranked among the longest-lasting mobile phones currently available.

For the user, information on battery life consumption is presented in a convenient form. The system can independently analyze energy-intensive software and offer to stop something in the name of saving energy.

Of course, there are energy saving modes: normal, smart and economical. The latter involves switching the device to only calls and SMS mode.

Software features

The OS used is Android 4.4.2 with the proprietary EMUI 3.0 shell pre-installed. The latter has recently been updated and has become very stylish. Minimalism, good customization appearance(themes, icons, fonts), perfect animation smoothness - all this is about the latest version of the software add-on.

The appearance of the system is a bit like that of the LG G3. True, the Koreans have everything flatter, while Huawei, on the contrary, is lively and focuses on animation.

Support for a branded case has now appeared in the menu. When the accessory cover is closed, only part of the display is active. And the case itself looks like this:

Considering that the smartphone turned out to be very impressive in size, the manufacturer has provided for the possibility of using it with one hand. To do this, you must activate the corresponding script from the parameters. You can tilt the device in the desired direction, and the keyboard will jump to the edge of the display.

Huawei programmers decided to equip the device with a small step counting utility. The functionality is minimal: tracking movement and displaying status in the notification panel. There is no need to download anything, the pedometer is already installed.

I will not consider the system in detail here, since this has already been thoroughly described by me in the review. Almost all the settings are identical to the flagship Mate 7, so I highly recommend reading this section in more detail. The shell is really very interesting and the Chinese have something to be proud of.

Bottom line

The CEO of Huawei in Russia has already reported that the first batch of the smartphone was sold out in less than 24 hours. Users most preferred the golden variation. There was a slight difference in cost and slightly more interesting specifications.

Let's talk about the main thing. Initially, it was planned that the device would be sold in Russia for 25 thousand, but the fall of the ruble made its own adjustments. Thus price for Huawei Ascend Mate 7 settled at 29,990 rubles for the regular version and 31,990 rubles for the “gold” model. The company's management stated that at the moment there are no plans to increase the price, but it is now difficult to buy the device at the indicated price. It's simply not available.

Is this too much? In the current currency conditions, I think not. All competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or iPhone 6 Plus, are several orders of magnitude more expensive. I would not compare the Mate 7 with smartphones such as and others. The product from Huawei is a shovel and the only more or less close competitor is . True, the latter is made entirely of plastic and does not have a fingerprint scanner.

To make it more interesting, I will give prices in rubles for the device in China. Thus, the usual configuration will cost the buyer 36,000 rubles, which corresponds to 3,699 yuan. But the Gold model already costs about 42,000 rubles, which is 4,298 yuan. It’s great that we live in Russia.

Should I consider buying the Huawei Ascend Mate 7?

I think yes. The smartphone is suitable for those who choose gadgets carefully and with a cool head. For people who are free from the influence of brands.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers are beginning to increase production capacity. If previously their products could not be called high-quality in any way, today they can easily compete with famous brands. Of course, this does not apply to “no names”; this can mostly be said about companies such as Huawei, Xiaomi, Meizu, etc. The hero of today's review is Huawei Ascend Mate 7, a favorite at IFA 2014.

Description

Design

The smartphone looks really very cool. Aluminum is used as the panel material, which is certainly a very pleasant plus. The phone is very thin, only 7.9 millimeters, the camera protrudes, like the .

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 cannot be called a compact device, because its screen diagonal is as much as 6 inches. For this reason, you should not expect elegance from it, but it has many interesting technical solutions. For example, it is on this device that the fingerprint unlocking function is most conveniently implemented. The sensor is located at the back of the phone, in the place where your finger usually rests when gripping. And most importantly, the screen is immediately unlocked, that is, no additional buttons need to be pressed. Of course, with this scheme, false positives are possible, but they are quite rare.

Display

The display is one of the most strengths smartphone. He's good at almost everything. There are maximum viewing angles, a large diagonal, and the manufacturer did not overdo it with the resolution, leaving the usual and, in our opinion, the most successful - FullHD. Also, such already established options as the absence of an air gap, anti-reflective and oleophobic coatings have not gone away. But all this is used in almost any smartphone that costs above average.

The main feature of the display is the matrix, which is simply amazing.

The maximum screen brightness is 500 candelas per square meter - this value will allow you to use your smartphone completely comfortably even in bright sunshine.

Contrast is also excellent.

Overall, we really liked the display. Of course, it has one drawback, in the form of a slightly unfinished color temperature, which slightly leans towards warm tones, but compared to its competitors this is really a minor thing.

Performance and hardware No, it’s not surprising that the Snapdragon 801, so popular this year, is not used as the heart of the system. Instead of him It is not so different from its predecessor, the Kirin 925. It is also based on the ARM big.LITTLE architecture, has four high-performance and four energy-efficient ones, and they can be used in absolutely any combination.

In addition to the main processor, another one is used here - Smart i3, which is responsible for sensors (previously we could see a similar solution in the iPhone). Performance is at a very high level, but the phone is still inferior to the iPhone 6 Plus.

With the graphics component, everything is not entirely clear; the manufacturer claims that the device has a Mali T628 MP6 graphics accelerator, but in this case its performance should have increased significantly compared to, but this does not happen - Productivity is of course greater, but not significantly.

Regarding the performance assessment based on my subjective impressions - basically Ascebd Mate 7 behaves quite quickly, but sometimes some unpleasant slowdowns are noticeable, which a flagship simply should not have. Perhaps it's a matter of firmware, because the review is based on a pre-production sample. Most likely, by the time mass sales begin, the manufacturer will correct this annoying situation.

Battery and autonomous operation

Despite the thinness of the phone, the designers managed to provide it with incredible powerful battery, the capacity of which is 4100 mAh.

It’s immediately clear what the engineers were betting on. If you put the phone on the table and practically do not make calls from it, then it can live in this mode for more than a week. But we are not interested in such tests; we need to know how it will show itself in the usual model of user behavior. It is quite difficult to carry out such tests, but we can say for sure that even if you don’t let it out of your hands and load it all day, it will survive until the evening in almost any scenario.

Camera

The camera in this device is the only thing that the designers approached without much enthusiasm. This is the most ordinary thirteen-megapixel module, without any special interesting “tricks” or “bells and whistles”. The pictures come out quite high quality, but very... Portrait camera – 5 megapixels, perfect for self-portraits and for posting photos on fashionable Instagram.

There is nothing more to say about the camera.

The new product from Huawei turned out to be really high-quality and balanced. To everyone who loves large smartphones, which are often compared to shovels, we strongly recommend taking a closer look at this model.

Excellent screen, productive hardware, a nice bonus in the form of fingerprint unlocking.

Specifications

Video review

For modern people, smartphones have become an integral part of their lives. Such gadgets allow you to keep abreast of all events. Internet access is possible anywhere. Connecting to the network occurs in two ways - through a Wi-Fi channel or a mobile operator. Another advantage of the devices is the presence of a built-in camera. Its resolution is quite enough for high-quality photographs. Now you don’t have to worry about not having a camera at hand to capture a memorable moment.

Manufacturers annually release improved models of smartphones. With each subsequent one, innovative technologies become available to the user. If ten years ago Cell phones tried to produce compact sizes, and the smaller they were, the more expensive they were valued, but now modern smartphones are popularly called “shovels” due to their rather large dimensions. Huawei Ascend Mate 7 can be classified as one of these. Reviews from owners indicate that this model copes well with tasks designed for tablets. High performance, impressive volume random access memory, gorgeous capacitive screen, powerful battery- all this perfectly describes the Mate 7 smartphone. The appearance also does not disappoint. He's quite presentable. Several color options are available for the buyer. The standard ones include Huawei Ascend Mate 7 16 GB silver and black. Also available in model range and a premium option. It comes in a golden hue and is labeled with the word Gold. It looks simply gorgeous. Externally, it is absolutely not inferior to the famous Apple devices.

Let's figure out what the manufacturer decided to surprise the buyer with, and what innovative ideas he used in his Huawei Ascend Mate 7 model. The price of the device is rather high, we will talk about it in more detail a little later. Did the owners regret the purchase? This is exactly what we have to deal with.

Positioning

In 2014, Huawei introduced its flagship to the mobile digital device market. The main emphasis was placed on high levels of performance and improved software. It is worth noting that two years later the relevance of these indicators has not decreased at all. At the moment, owners of Huawei Ascend Mate 7 (Gold and classic copies) claim that the gadget copes well with all tasks without exception.

At the time of release, the model could rightfully occupy a leading position in the segment of the highest category - premium. However, two years after its release, it was slightly displaced by new devices. The Mate 7 is now positioned as a mid-range device based on features and cost.

This model is equipped with everything that is now used in modern devices. Therefore, it can be safely called an alternative solution for that category of buyers who want to have an advanced smartphone at an affordable price.

Equipment

Let's start the presentation of Ascend Mate 7 with a review of the configuration. The manufacturer will not surprise the buyer with anything new. The set is nothing more than standard. It can be seen in the configuration of many similar devices.

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is packaged in a small cardboard box. For presentability, the manufacturer chose a black background. The model name and logo are printed in gold paint. The gadget itself is packed inside the box. There is no need to look for the battery separately, as it is built into the device. A network adapter is included with the phone. Its output power is 2 A. The manufacturer chose not the best headphones for Huawei Ascend Mate 7. Their characteristics are quite modest. They are an acoustic device with a microphone. The sound is below average, so audiophiles should consider a more worthwhile option. Of course, the kit includes a USB cable. With its help, the smartphone connects to a PC and other equipment, and owners will also use it for charging.

The manufacturer also worried about a special paper clip. It is designed to remove SIM cards and flash drives, since the slots are equipped with a “cunning” lock. An instruction manual and a warranty card are also included in the package. Buyers are advised to immediately check their availability at the point of sale and be sure to check that they are filled.

An important feature of the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 16 GB (in the Premium version - 32 GB) are the screen protection elements. The smartphone is already sold with a special film. Also, importantly, the developers used Corning Gorilla Glass 3 in this model. Glass is famous for its durability. There is no cover included, but given the level of screen protection and quality of materials, purchasing one is not necessary. But what the owner of a new gadget will really need is a memory card. The Ascend Mate 7 smartphone supports removable storage up to 64 GB.

Design

What design features will surprise Huawei Ascend Mate 7? A review of the gadget would not be complete without detailed description appearance. First, let's look at its dimensions.

This smartphone cannot be classified as a compact device. Its height is 157 mm. Considering that the developers installed a 6-inch screen on it, this is the minimum figure that one could count on. Thin stripes run along the bottom and top of the front panel. They are decorated in the main color. They display the earpiece, sensors and front camera lens (above). At the bottom is the name of the manufacturer's company. The user will not find the usual soft keys on the panel. They are located directly at the bottom of the screen.

The width of the smartphone is 81 mm. Almost the entire area is occupied by the screen. The frames on the sides are quite narrow. Considering the thickness (7.9 mm), the gadget can easily be classified as a thin device.

There are three color options on sale: classic black, elegant silver and executive gold. It is worth noting that those who want to impress and demonstrate their respectable status purchase the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Premium Gold. But the most practical option would be a black model. Although it doesn’t look elegant, fingerprints and a layer of dust/dirt are almost invisible.

On the left side there are slots for SIM cards and external storage. They are quite well camouflaged. The smartphone supports two cards mobile operators. One slot has a micro format, the second - nano. There are two mechanical buttons on the right side. The first is the volume rocker, the second is the lock key. In order to make the gadget easier to use, the developers used different coatings for these buttons. Thanks to this, you can find them blindly. The volume control is smooth, and the locking key is knurled.

At the bottom there is room for a small microphone hole and a microUSB port. The placement of the interface cable connector has received mixed reviews. Many people think that using it is not always convenient. But in fairness, we note that there were no categorical statements from the owners on this matter.

The manufacturer has placed a noise-canceling microphone at the top end. Next to it is an audio jack, which is designed to connect headphones.

The back panel is not as informative as the front panel. It has a main camera lens. A single-section flash and stereo speaker are also located here. Since this model is equipped with a security system that reads a fingerprint, there is also a scanner on the back cover. Of course, the company logo could not be avoided. There was a place for it at the very bottom.

Performance

As the manufacturer stated, the level of energy efficiency and performance is the main advantage of Huawei Ascend Mate 7. The characteristics of not every modern device can boast of such indicators. Even today, not all well-known companies have learned to optimize their work processes as much as possible. As time has shown, the Ascend Mate 7 model has virtually no competitors in this category.

In order to achieve high results, the developers installed the ultra-powerful HiSilicon Kirin 925 chipset. This computing platform is a proprietary development of Huawei and is produced by a subsidiary. The peculiarity of the processor is that it is based on eight real cores. Half of them are ARM Cortex-A15, the rest are ARM Cortex-A7. They operate at frequencies of 1.8 and 1.3 GHz according to the big.LITTLE scheme. Their indisputable advantage is the high level of energy savings. The developers have adjusted the operation of the Huawei Ascend Mate 7's processor in such a way that all cores are used under heavy load. This ensures stable and fast functioning of the gadget. However, when the load decreases, only the required number of cores remain working, for example, two, while the rest are simply turned off. The clock speed also changes depending on the level of complexity of the tasks. It can either decrease or increase to a maximum value.

The operation of the sensors and fingerprint scanner is ensured by the independent Smartl3 platform. Considering the entire load placed on this chipset, it turned out that a frequency of 230 MHz would be sufficient for flawless operation.

It is impossible to find analogues in performance even in the line of such global companies as Samsung and Apple.

GPU

Considering the “stuffing”, we cannot remain silent about the fact that the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 smartphone is equipped with an equally efficient Mali-T628 MP4 graphics processor. It features high performance. It is a video card with four modules. Each of them operates at a frequency of 600 MHz. It can hardly be called energy efficient. However, do not forget that it is this processor that is responsible for the quality of the image displayed on the screen. But the latter is still quite large in size and supports HD quality.

Memory

There are several modifications of Huawei Ascend Mate 7 on sale. Premium has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. Although the younger model cannot boast of such figures, its storage is also quite large. The volume of RAM is 2 GB, and the integrated one is 16 GB. Which of this will be available to the user? Not every person knows that the built-in memory is not fully available. Why? Files operating system and the pre-installed software will occupy some part of the storage. For example, in the younger modification, out of 16 GB, only approximately 12 GB can be used.

The amount of memory affects the cost of the gadget. Ascend Mate 7 Premium will cost buyers 1.5 times more expensive. However, the model has quite a lot of potential. As for 16 GB devices, users did not notice any restrictions in operation. This volume is quite enough to install modern applications, games and other software.

Despite the impressive parameters of the built-in memory, the developers have provided a way to expand using external drives. The model supports flash drives up to 64 GB. Excellent characteristics - isn't it?!

Huawei Ascend Mate 7: screen review

One of the significant advantages of this gadget is its 6-inch screen. Users note that its characteristics fully meet modern requirements. The developers used IPS technology to produce the matrix. Thanks to this, it was possible to achieve the highest quality image. The result was also influenced by the lack of an air gap between the matrix and the touchscreen.

The picture displayed on the display has a resolution of 1920x1080 px. Not all tablets, let alone smartphones, can boast such figures. The image quality corresponds to Full HD. It is impossible to notice “squares” on the screen with the naked eye, since the pixel density is 368 ppi.

The brightness level in Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is good, the reserve is quite enough for comfortable viewing in the sun. The viewing angles are great. Contrast and color distortion can only be observed at a fairly large tilt. On the display, all shades of the palette are displayed richly, without distortion. There is automatic brightness adjustment controlled by special sensors.

Many users noted the presence of protective glass. In order to avoid the accumulation of fingerprints on the front surface of the screen, the manufacturer used an oleophobic coating.

Cameras

The optics in this gadget did not disappoint either. The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 phone has two cameras. The main one exceeded all customer expectations. The 13-megapixel matrix allows you to take great pictures. It is based on IMX214, a sensor element from the most popular manufacturer of such devices, of course, Sony. Autofocus and flash have been added to enhance photographic quality. The latter is LED and allows you to take photos in low light.

You must control the rear camera directly from the phone menu. The manufacturer did not provide an independent button on the case. However, in Huawei Ascend Mate 7, the firmware allows you to quickly access the application. To do this, you need to double-click the volume rocker on the volume down side.

This gadget can record video at 30 frames per second. Playback quality - Full HD. Recording is carried out with a resolution of 1920×1080 px.

The smartphone is also equipped with front camera. A 5-megapixel matrix is ​​responsible for its operation. There is no flash, no autofocus, but thanks to the additional IMAGESmart Engine 2.0 coprocessor, the photos are quite high-quality. Users claim that it handles Skype conversations and selfies with 5 points.

Battery

As mentioned above, Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is one of the few devices that works as efficiently as possible. In order for the device to function autonomously, the manufacturer used a built-in 4100 mAh battery. Its type is Li-Pol (lithium polymer). Capacitive batteries are rare for thin smartphone models. The Chinese manufacturer has beaten many well-known brands here too.

Owners of gadgets operating on the Android platform know that the duration battery life not the strongest place. However, in this case, everything has changed radically. Thanks to the excellent optimization of all work processes, the battery life of Ascend Mate 7 will be at least 2 days under average load. If you watch a video with headphones at maximum volume and brightness levels, the battery will run out in about 10 hours. Given the large and high-quality screen, many users use a smartphone for reading e-books. In this mode, the charge will last for 20 hours. Lovers of various toys will have to charge the phone after only 4 hours.

I would like to draw the reader’s attention to the “Energy Saving” section. Here three modes are available to the user. Among them there is an economical one. When activated, the device operates in a reduced form, that is, only the main functions are displayed on the screen - calls, messages, clocks and contacts. The remaining applications have been put into hibernation. Using the energy-saving mode, the “life” of the battery can be extended by 30-40 hours.

operating system

Android 4.4.2 is installed on Ascend Mate 7. The proprietary shell is EMUI 3. The interface has changed in comparison with the previous version better side. Basically, all elements got rid of sharp corners, acquiring oval shapes. This allowed us to add some lightness and airiness. Users have noticed certain similarities with Apple's iOS7 OS. And indeed, copying is present. However, similar shells can be seen on devices of different brands, so this cannot be considered a serious disadvantage. The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 update was received with delight by users.

The panel is visually divided into two parts. One displays icons, the other displays notifications. To switch between them, use swipes. If you hold your finger on the main screen, a submenu appears in the form of an arrow, a square and a circle. These controls are specific to Android L.

All telephony is combined into one section. In order to go to messages or dial a number from the phone book, you need to scroll the page to the right or left. Now you can find files from the “Gallery” directly through the main screen. To do this, just move your finger from top to bottom.

The updates also affected applications. For example, the music player received a new TenSilica DSP chip. Thanks to him, the sound quality has increased to the maximum level. Low frequencies sound clean, there is no interference (hum), the same can be said about the mids and highs. Through the speaker, music is played quite loudly, the level is enough to compare with portable devices. The sound is pleasant, there is no wheezing at the maximum level.

Huawei Ascend Mate 7: price

From the above we can conclude that this gadget has no visible shortcomings. Therefore, most readers will ask the question: “How much does this model cost?” The smartphone is a flagship, so a priori it cannot be sold at a low price. The cost for the youngest modification starts from $300. This category sells silver and black copies. But the device with a golden body belongs to the premium segment, so the price for it will start at $450. The most expensive option is the modification with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory. For such a device, buyers will have to pay about $600.

The prices, of course, are not cheap, but this smartphone is 100% worth the money spent. Note that Apple models with such characteristics will cost much more.

Currently, some online stores are running promotions that can save you up to $100. However, be careful not to buy a fake.

Conclusion

To summarize, I would like to separately highlight all the significant advantages of this model. First of all, it is a metal case, which is quite resistant to various types of mechanical damage. The assembly exceeded all expectations of buyers and experts; its quality leaves no room for doubt. The presence of a fingerprint scanner allows you to protect the owners’ data as much as possible. The modern screen coating has also received a lot of praise, so purchasing a case for Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is not necessary. Of course, the cameras and speaker deserve attention. They function at a high level.

Those who decide to purchase this device will definitely not regret their purchase. This is evidenced by numerous reviews from happy owners.

Just a year ago, smartphones with a 5.2″ diagonal seemed simply unrealistically large, but now the situation has changed. Even Google itself released the Nexus 6 with a diagonal corresponding to its number, pushing the line of “normal” a little further. Therefore, it is logical that manufacturers keep up with the trend and produce large devices in new ways. And today we will look at just such a smartphone, Huawei Mate 7.

The first thing that comes to mind when you pick up the Mate 7 is still “How huge it is.” Even if you have the smallest hands, a six-inch display is a lot. The device tries to slip out every now and then, although the texture of the surface is not conducive to this, it’s just a matter of dimensions. But let's talk about everything in order.

Equipment

The Mate 7 comes in a beautiful black box. Everyone is accustomed to the fact that most devices from Chinese vendors are not the most expensive, but in this case this is not the case. And this is confirmed not only by the price, but also by the quality of the packaging in particular. On the box, which is made of cardboard with a snakeskin texture, there is a large number 7, as if foreshadowing the packaging of the iPhone in a couple of years.

Everything looks solid inside. Everything is located in separate black boxes placed in their own slots. You get the feeling that you are holding in your hands a box from some not-so-cheap watch.

The package includes fairly standard pieces of paper with instructions and specifications that no one ever reads, but for some reason they are written down, a microUSB cable for charging, an adapter for a socket with an output current of 2A (which is very good) and included headphones. I don’t even want to talk about the latter; to be honest, it’s not at all clear why such things are still put in boxes.

In addition, the kit includes a metal clip that will help you remove the memory card and SIM card slots. The thing is useful, but its interesting feature is that it is quite thick, so it may not be possible to use it for other devices. Moral: keep the original paper clips from your devices.

Frame

From the other contents of the box, let's move on to the main thing - Huawei Mate 7. Its body is made of metal, which feels very pleasant in the hand. The assembly of the device is at the highest level. Everything is very rigid, nothing moves anywhere, does not creak, does not play, creating the feeling of a truly premium device. Actually, the price of the Mate 7 obliges us to do just that, and it would be strange if we could make any complaints about the build quality.

The control buttons are located on the right side. They, like the rest of the body, are metal, well-fitted and have a sufficient degree of clickability. Pressing them is quite convenient, however, thanks to some features that we will talk about later, you will not need to do this so often.

On the left side there are two card slots: one for a SIM card, the other for a microSD memory card. They pop in and out with a characteristic click, and when closed they form a solid surface with a side edge, so that when you run your finger along it, you will not get caught on them in any way. A definite plus.

At the top there is a 3.5 mm jack output into which you can insert headphones. I highly recommend doing this with a model different from the one you find in the box, otherwise you can pretty much ruin the whole impression. You can also see the microphone hole at the top.

On the bottom edge you can find a microUSB connector, which is a standard in our time, including legislation. By the way, there is also a microphone at the bottom.

The back surface is an almost solid aluminum surface with small pieces at the top and bottom. Higher up is a camera peephole with a flash, underneath which is a fingerprint scanner. Its location evokes associations with HTC One Max, however, and the entire design as a whole refers to it. The nice thing is that the scanner does not differ either in appearance or in tactile sensations from the surrounding texture, although it is slightly lowered and edged with a glossy frame.

Below you can see the Huawei logo and the speaker grille, which is the only one here and is located at the back.

The front panel is occupied by a gigantic display, on top of which there is a speaker grille, sensors and a front camera.

Display

The biggest and most noticeable part of the Mate 7 is definitely its display. It is made using IPS technology and stretches as much as 6″. The resolution today is a very conservative 1920 x 1080 pixels, in other words FullHD. The pixel density is approximately 368 ppi, and I’ll tell you honestly, this is quite enough.

Thanks to the peculiarities of the technology, the black color looks grayish, but otherwise the color rendition is at the same level. If you don’t like the color temperature, you can adjust it using the built-in software tools. Particularly picky users should like this option.

Otherwise, it is worth noting that the large display is really convenient for consuming content. Videos, toys, photographs - this is precisely why it is worth purchasing a device with such rather large dimensions.

Another point worth paying attention to is the oleophobic coating, which is quite good here. Whatever one may say, a large glass surface will one way or another collect a lot of fingerprints, so it is important to be able to remove them well and quickly. And, at least while the device is new, the Mate 7 has no problems with this.

Sound

If the display is ideal for consuming as much content as possible from a smartphone (phablet?), then in terms of sound everything is not so rosy. As already mentioned, there is only one speaker in the Mate 7, and it is located on the rear panel, i.e. The sound is directed away from the user. In this context, the Nexus 6 version looks more logical, when the chin and chin were slightly enlarged to accommodate stereo speakers that direct sound waves to the user. After all, with such dimensions, the slight increase in height is not as significant as in more compact models.

In this regard, you still have to hold your hand “boat” in order to better hear the words of the movie characters or the roar of the engine during the game, and this is inconvenient. It’s good that there is enough volume reserve, and the sound quality is at the same level. Only, unfortunately, those around you will learn more about this, and not you yourself, since it will be directed specifically at them.

So, despite the fact that the sound is loud and quite high-quality, the manufacturer is pushing you to still use headphones. The sound in them is unremarkable, everything is as it should be, but without a hint of a wow effect. By the way, you will definitely need to buy headphones separately if you don’t already have a pair, because the ones that come in the kit are very, very dull.

Fingerprint scanner

We should also highlight the fingerprint scanner, which is present in the Huawei Mate 7. It is located on the back surface of the device and can be quite conveniently reached with your index finger when you take the smartphone in your hand.

In order to activate fingerprint unlocking, you need to set a lock using a pin or password. A significant disadvantage is that when the smartphone is lying on a table or other surface with its back down, it is impossible to unlock it, unlike the iPhone, so you have to enter a secret combination. And given the size of the device, it should lie on the table quite often.

It’s not in vain that we remembered the iPhone, because the Mate 7 is in many ways reminiscent of it. In particular, the fingerprint recording animation is very, very similar. In terms of software, Huawei’s creation is generally very reminiscent of people from Cupertino, but we will return to this later. In the context of a fingerprint scanner, copying is not so shameful. In the Mate 7, everything works at least as well as in the iPhone, although they say that after the phone freezes outside, problems may arise. Well, keep your smartphones closer to your body.

It’s immediately clear what the engineers were betting on. If you put the phone on the table and practically do not make calls from it, then it can live in this mode for more than a week. But we are not interested in such tests; we need to know how it will show itself in the usual model of user behavior. It is quite difficult to carry out such tests, but we can say for sure that even if you don’t let it out of your hands and load it all day, it will survive until the evening in almost any scenario.

Huawei Mate 7 has a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front camera. They both take decent photographs. For me, as a person who is not very keen on mobile photography, the cameras offered are quite enough. However, aesthetes and connoisseurs of high art can find something to complain about and make a choice in favor of or (Plus).

However, Sasha gave the camera high marks; in his opinion, it finally easily competes with the strongest among smartphones.

We should probably mention the camera interface. One has only to look at it to understand what the creators were inspired by. However, this topic will come up again in our review, but here everything, as they say, is obvious. Apple in all its glory, don't you think?

Photo examples

Specifications

• Dimensions: 157 x 81 x 7.9 mm.
• Weight: 185 g.
• Operating system: Android 4.4 KitKat + EmotionUI 3.0.
• Processor: eight-core, HiSilicon Kirin 925, 4 x 1.8 GHz Cortex A15 + 4 x 1.3 GHz Cortex A7.
• Graphics: Mali-T628.
• Display: IPS, 6″, 1920 x 1080, 368 ppi.
• Memory: 16 GB flash + 2 GB RAM or 32 GB + 3 GB RAM, expandable with MicroSD cards (up to 128 GB).
• Camera: 13 MP, front 5 MP.
• Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, MicroUSB.
• Battery: Li-Po battery 4100 mAh.

Software

Huawei Mate 7 has Android version 4.4 KitKat installed, which has not been the latest for quite some time. But as a result of the manipulations of Chinese programmers, who rolled their own shell called EmotionUI version 3.0 on top of all this, the result was a kind of mixture of iOS and Lollipop. Moreover, all that remains from the latter are new on-screen buttons, which are geometric shapes, and not understandable icons. Their convenience is questionable, but fashion is fashion.

Otherwise, EmotionUI 3.0 is very similar to iOS. There is also no application menu, and everything is stacked on desktops. You need to organize icons into folders, which here open in full screen and display no more than nine applications at a time. On such a big screen, the move is not the most logical, but since Johnny-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came up with it, then so be it.

In addition, Huawei decided that it was possible to give the user the ability to change themes, but the icons should still be enclosed in a square with rounded corners. And it doesn’t matter that developers often think differently, we’ll just blurt out their creations on some background. Often it doesn't look in the best possible way, but here, apparently, they were guided by the same principle as in the case of folders.

Copying You-Know-Which OS doesn't end there. So, swiping down brings up a search, which is very reminiscent of Spotlight. You can also search for applications on your smartphone or information on the Internet. Well, the background is also blurry. In general, no one is hiding anything.

The notification curtain has also changed. The bright white background displays events as they occur, and in the adjacent curtain there are icons, of which there are many, but some of them are very interesting. Although, for example, why there is a need for a “reboot”, which can be accidentally touched, is not entirely clear.

The multitasking window is implemented in the form of a 2 by 2 grid, which can be closed by swiping up on the corresponding application. At the same time, you can close all applications at once with one swipe from the bottom edge.

Special abilities

Considering that the smartphone has an impressive size, it is logical that it was equipped with special features, in particular for ease of operation with one hand. Thus, controls such as on-screen buttons or dialing buttons can be moved to one side, which makes it a little easier to manipulate one limb, but not to say that doing this becomes absolutely convenient. I still can’t recommend the device, and it needs to be taken out of your pocket on the go.

In addition to moving the buttons, you can also turn on a special floating thing, tapping on which opens a menu of nailed buttons, locking the screen and clearing RAM. You can move it along the edges of the screen, and in fact using this function turned out to be quite convenient.

But the Chinese were not at all going to stop at copying only iOS. After all, there is such a wonderful OS as Windows Phone, which is not enough to complete the combo. Something similar to it can be observed in “simplified mode”. So if you decide to give a six-inch monster to your grandmother (although it is not clear why), then she will be comfortable clicking on the large icons and reading the large letters.

Performance

The heart of Huawei Mate 7 is the HiSilicon Kirin 925 chip, built using “biglittle” technology, i.e. four cores for more productive tasks and four energy-efficient ones. In general, they are enough for both smooth operation of the interface and demanding toys. To be honest, you can’t make any claims against him. Although it may be that with longer use it will be possible to catch some bugs related to the optimization of applications for a not so common chip.

If this is still important for someone, then in Antutu Mate 7 scores about 43k points, which is a very decent result, although far from top-end. But we know that it actually means quite a bit.

Autonomy

Battery life is where the Mate 7 shines. Thanks to the combination of a not very voracious processor, a screen with a FullHD resolution that is reasonable for its diagonal, as well as a very impressive 4100 mAh battery, the device lives for a really long time. It should easily last you two days of moderate work, but even if you want to hack some powerful toys, you can be sure that it will last you until the evening and you won’t have to look for an outlet.

But with great capacity comes great responsibility—long charging times. Even taking into account the fact that the box with the device comes with a power supply with an output current of 2A, which is quite a lot by smartphone standards, it takes a long time to charge the Mate 7, which may not be the most convenient circumstance if you need to recharge, and you, for example, you are late.

In any case, a large battery is good, even despite the huge screen that needs to be backlit and the color of each pixel calculated many times per second. So once again I would like to commend the developers for the resolution of “only” 1920 x 1080. With the current development of battery technology, more is not needed.

Impressions of use

Perhaps the main question that I asked myself, and, probably, you ask me while reading this review, is how realistic is it to use such a large device? Let me try to answer it.

Even after spending quite some time getting used to the 5.2″ Moto X (2014), the Mate 7 still feels huge. It's virtually impossible to operate it with one hand, even with all the software aids. And this immediately imposes a number of restrictions. For example, I quite often have to talk on the phone, which often means that I need to constantly take my smartphone out of my pocket. And you have to do this even on the go, which in the case of such a giant is fraught with falls, chips of the case and webs of cracks across the screen. Not the most pleasant thing that can happen, I tell you.

With my usual grip, I could reach with my thumb just above the middle of the display. And since Huawei for some reason forgot to copy from Apple the function in which the display goes down (although so much was copied that it’s unclear why not), in order to reach the upper elements of the interface, you need to change your grip.

And although the metal of the case provides a very pleasant tactile sensation, and the build quality is pleasing, it is still virtually impossible to hold the smartphone with one hand. Nevertheless, it is more intended precisely to hold one and use the other. But this does not mean that there is any negativity in my words.

Phablets like the Mate 7 definitely have a right to life. These are just not the devices we are used to. Nobody criticizes the iPad Air 2 because it is inconvenient to hold with one hand. Of course, I am exaggerating, but I think the meaning is clear. Phablets are phablets. If you like, more bedside and desktop smartphones than convenient dialers that can access the Internet. And if you need to talk on it on the go, buy a headset and live happily. Otherwise, use both hands.

Of course, all this may no longer be so relevant in a few years. A striking example is the photograph below. I remember now what an incredible shovel, unusable, the HTC HD2 seemed to me. And now you can see for yourself where it is in the size range. So it is quite possible that in a few years we will remember the Huawei Mate 7 as a miniature device that was convenient to use. But this, firstly, is unlikely, and, secondly, it will only happen in the future, so when it comes, then we’ll talk.

conclusions

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is very good smartphone, if you can still call it that. Build quality, display, fingerprint scanner - all this is done at the highest level and evokes only positive emotions. In addition, he overcomes with dignity main problem modern mobile devices, namely the lifetime from one charge. At the same time, as you might guess, its main advantage and disadvantage is the diagonal of this very display. Today, 6″ is still very, very large, but if you are sure that these sizes will suit you, you can safely go and buy.

Prices start at $550 for the version with 16 GB of internal memory and 2 GB of RAM and end at around $650 for 32 GB + 3 GB. At this price tag, the Mate 7 is a very good choice.

For whom such a smartphone may be ideal are iOS lovers, for whom for some reason the iPhone 6 Plus display seems small, and the iPad Mini is not satisfied with the fact that it cannot make calls. The craftsmen from Huawei not only largely followed the precepts of Johnny-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but even introduced an option in a gold-colored case. And compared to the “plus”, you will also be able to save a little. By the way, there is also a 128 GB version on sale (only in golden color), so in terms of memory you can fully compensate for the lack of apples in your blood, if one suddenly appears. There's also a lot more RAM here.

As a result, we have a very ambiguous device. On the one hand, it performed very well in a number of aspects; it can be safely recommended for purchase even taking into account the rather inflated price tag. But on the other hand, these are not suitable for everyone big sizes, and the Huawei brand (especially in countries where Russian is spoken) has not yet established itself enough for the masses to be willing to shell out “flagship” money for it. All this makes the Mate 7 a great device, but also a very niche one.

Chinese smartphone manufacturers are progressing with terrible force - and no less mesmerizing speed. Just recently, my colleague Perekalin and I wandered around the Huawei stand at MWC 2012 and wondered why the Chinese decided to show the public this plastic misunderstanding, for some unknown reason equipped with a quad-core processor.

Only a couple of years have passed - and it was the Huawei smartphone, in the opinion of the author of this review, that became the most interesting new product at another exhibition, IFA 2014. This, no matter how trite, is similar to the transformation of Cinderella into a princess. The only difference is that the fairy seems to have nothing to do with it: such miracles are not miracles at all, but the result of hard work on one’s mistakes. However, let's return to our smartphones: on our agenda we have the new flagship Huawei tablet - Ascend Mate 7.

⇡ Design and ergonomics

The author of this material is not a big fan of super-large smartphones, and although at one time I had to spend a lot of time with the first of them, the Samsung Galaxy Note, my soul has always been in favor of more compact devices. The last of these was the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact, and in contrast to it, the Ascend Mate 7 is especially impressive in its size. Still six inches, albeit with fashionable ultra-thin frames.

Speaking of frames: obviously, it was not enough for the designers that the designers were able to achieve a record ratio of screen area to front panel area (83%, for comparison: for the “frameless” Sharp Aquos Crystal this figure is 78%). For added effect, the glass around the display is painted black, so in many cases it appears as if the screen is larger and the bezels thinner than they actually are.

Not that there is anything completely bad about this, but in such a maneuver one feels some kind of inappropriate desire to outwit the buyer. And at the same time borrowing from HTC. But the Taiwanese had something to hide - the One’s frames are not thin at all, but why would they? However, this is the only bad thing that can be said about the design of the Mate 7. Otherwise, everything is fine - the smartphone really looks great.

Another point of pride is the increased metal content in the rear panel of the case - 95%. The inevitable plastic inserts above the antennas are very thin; everything else is machined from aluminum.

A nice detail that Chinese smartphone manufacturers often forget about: between metal body and the front panel has a thin plastic gasket that acts as a damper and reduces the chance of breaking the glass upon impact.

The case is thin, perhaps even too thin (7.9 millimeters). But taking into account all the circumstances, such a large device still doesn’t fit very well in your pocket, and there is no other practical point in “thinner”. So the smartphone could easily have been made thicker: it would have accommodated more filling, and the camera wouldn’t have to be made to stick out. It sticks out about half a millimeter, like the latest iPhone - although it interferes a little less in everyday life, its frames are not at all as sharp.

Theoretically, the Mate 7's USB port can charge small gadgets. But the lanyard for this is not included

However, this is all lyrics. We rarely love “shovel phones” for their design as such - and much more often because they are endowed with maximum functions, many of which are simply not found in slimmer devices. What attracts Huawei? One small but very useful thing - it seems that the first fingerprint sensor on the Android platform, which really works.

Yes, a few months ago there was already the first pancake from Samsung - but it turned out to be so crumpled that there is no point in talking about it seriously. Turn on the smartphone, then slide your finger over the button located at the bottom of the front panel - you won’t be able to do this with one hand. And who has time for that these days, when people unlock their smartphones an average of 150 times a day?

Huawei has everything arranged much more conveniently. The sensor is located on the back panel; with the most comfortable grip, the index finger fits perfectly on it. And most importantly: to unlock your smartphone, you don’t need to press anything—you just need to touch the sensor with your finger.

The recognition process occurs very quickly - no delay is felt. True, it doesn’t always work the first time, but even taking into account the extra attempts, the total is probably faster than on an iPhone. And certainly faster than Samsung’s, even if we imagine for a second that the Korean version is at least somehow suitable for real use.

⇡ Technical specifications

⇡ Hardware and performance

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is based on the latest chipset produced by a subsidiary of HiSilicon - Kirin 925. The processor is not too different from the already familiar Kirin 920 used in the Huawei Honor 6 smartphone. It is also based on the ARM big.LITTLE architecture and contains eight computing cores - four small and cost-effective ARM Cortex-A7 plus four large and powerful ARM Cortex-A15.