Bolstering its brand reputation by associating with other world-renowned, luxury labels, Huawei has teamed up once again with Porsche Design to come up with a smartphone that epitomizes the marriage between premium design and cutting-edge technology - the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS.
Aptly unveiled at the opulent Grand Palais in Paris, France, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS takes inspiration from the motoring origins of its design studio, sporting the luster of a sports car with its double-sided glass body in shade of black and the cool feel of metal on the back. Adding to its premium aura, the phone comes with a beautifully-designed leather phone case available in a range of colors, such as black and red. With a rating of IP67, the phone is designed to be both water- and dust-resistant.
The phone does not only look snappy on the outside. Under the hood, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS is amped up with Huawei's very own Kirin 980 octa-core chipset. Apart from having a multi-core chip, coupled with 8GB RAM and 256GB ROM, for efficient multitasking when working or playing with different apps, the Kirin 980 chipset also brings to the table the neural processing unit (NPU). With a co-processor specialized in artificial intelligence (AI), AI-related tasks are efficiently handled, resulting in improved battery life as well. With AI, the handset constantly learns, understands, and tailors its performance according to the needs of the user, making itself an ideal personal assistant.
Extending the application of AI to mobile photography, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS, with its triple rear camera system, features Master AI. Images captured by the phone with its rear camera system, consisting of a 40-megapixel F1.8 aperture RGB sensor, 20-megapixel F1.6 aperture monochrome sensor, and 8-megapixel F2.4 telephoto sensor, are enhanced with the help of AI, resulting in precise, remarkable outputs. AI-backed image stabilization, which is a first on a smartphone, adds clarity to every image captured, even the ones captured with the phone's 5x hybrid zoom. On the front, the handset carries a 24-megapixel F.20 camera. It can also record 4K videos (3840 x 2160p). Similar to Huawei's other premium handsets, Porsche Design Huawei RS's camera carries the Leica label, another strong manifestation of the brand's association with luxury.
Originally running on Android 8.0 Oreo with Huawei’s EMUI 8.0, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS packs a 4000mAh internal battery that can be recharged either through USB-C port or wireless charging. Other connectivity options featured on the phone include Bluetooth 4.2, NFC, and Wi-Fi. Aside from a leather case, the phone is bundled with the usual cable, charger, and a SIM ejector tool. One unusual accessory in the set is the USB-C to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter.
The Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS stays faithful to its name, having an appealing yet understated design like a real Porsche sports car. But the true strength is within: an octa-core engine for fast, efficient multitasking, coupled with an AI co-processor which makes the handset learn, understand, and adapt according to the needs of its user. In that sense, the Porsche Design Huawei Mate RS is a true smart phone.