Huawei and smartphones is a complex relationship to say the least. If the Chinese brand continues to market connected products in Europe, such as true wireless headphones, watches or tablets, it is struggling on the telephone market. In question, the sanctions of the United States which prevent it from using the services of Google and deprive it of American 5G modems – forcing it to produce 4G smartphones – as well as this essential of Android that is the Play Store .
This does not prevent the Chinese firm from announcing many new products which release interesting innovations in the world of telephony. This is the case of the Mate 60 Pro, formalized on the Chinese market, and which we will probably not see on the Old Continent. And yet, it deserves attention, at least for one feature: it is compatible with satellite calls. It should be remembered that, since the end of 2022 and the launch of the iPhone 14 in the Apple ecosystem, emergency communications have been at the heart of the concerns of mobile manufacturers. However, the iPhone 14 and their competitors that adopt this feature (such as the Samsung Galaxy S23) offer the sending of text messages; this is also what Qualcomm’s recent Snapdragon Satellite platform is aiming for, which intends to democratize the functionality. Huawei, in partnership with China Telecom, intends to go further by allowing voice calls via satellite. This is the main strength of the Mate 60 Pro, whose technical sheet is otherwise well defended.
We find on the Mate 60 Pro the characteristics expected of a high-end smartphone, except 5G. 6.82-inch Oled LTPO screen (1260 x 2720 pixels), Kirin 9000S chip, at least 12 GB of RAM, triple photo module, the main one of which (50 megapixel sensor) includes a variable aperture lens (f1.4- f/4), 5000 mAh battery with fast charging at 88 W wired and 50 W wireless… everything is there, therefore, including IP68 certification, except 5G and an Android with Google services. It also runs on HarmonyOS 4.0, its operating system in China. On the price side, count a minimum of 6999 yuan, or nearly 900 € at the current exchange rate, excluding taxes.
A Mate 60 with satellite text messages
The Mate 60 Pro is accompanied by a second smartphone, the Mate 60 (from 5999 yuan, or around €765 excluding taxes). The latter has a similar appearance to the Pro model, but is a little more compact, since its Oled screen has a diagonal of 6.69 inches. There are some compromises: its battery goes to 4750 mAh (66 W), its second photo module (with telephoto lens) goes from 48 to 12 Mpx, it loses a ToF sensor accompanying its 13 Mpx front photo sensor and, on the communications side of emergency, it only authorizes the sending of messages by satellite. With these two devices, Huawei nevertheless shows that emergency communications are becoming more democratic on both sides of the globe, and will undoubtedly be at the heart of the announcements of competing brands in the months to come.