Huawei Mate 10 Lite review - a simplified version of the flagship that has a lot to offer

Most 2021 flagships feature frameless designs, 18:9 aspect ratio screens, and dual cameras. Naturally, manufacturers have already begun to equip mid-segment models with similar functions. More and more smartphones with dual main cameras are appearing, there are even a couple of models with elongated screens, but until today no one has combined all these features in one device. It's time to get acquainted with Huawei Mate 10 Lite - a lightweight version of the flagship Mate 10 Pro, with dual main and front cameras and a large screen.

LineHUAWEI Mate 10 Lite Smartphones and mobile phones on

Models in the line: 1

Price range: 4,446 − 4,682 UAH

In some markets, the Mate 10 Lite is presented under the name Nova 2i for a reason. The body lines and brushed metal are reminiscent of the Nova 2, although the form factor is similar to the Mate 10 Pro, and the main camera unit is similar to last year’s Mate 9. As a result, the choice of name for Ukraine can be explained rather by the start of sales of the current generation of “adults” Mate. The company should be comfortable positioning the more affordable model as a lighter version of the Mate 10 Pro, although it could also be seen as an extension of the Nova lineup.

Review of the Huawei Mate 10 Lite smartphone and its characteristics

2017 set the trend for frameless design, dual cameras, and an 18:9 aspect ratio. These features are typical primarily for flagships from well-known brands, but towards the end of the year they were already widely used in the budget and mid-price segments. Now almost every new smartphone boasts a dual camera, but all these technologies together are still not that common. A review of Huawei Mate 10 Lite showed that it is positioned as a simplified version of the company’s main flagship, which received a large display, dual main and front cameras.

Specifications:

• SIZE: 72.5x156.2x7.5 mm;
• WEIGHT: 164 g;
• INTERNAL MEMORY: 64 GB, expandable - microSD up to 256 GB;
• RAM: 4 GB;
• DISPLAY: 5.88 inches, IPS LCD capacitive, 16 million colors, 1440×2560 pixels;
• PROCESSOR: Hisilicon Kirin 970
• Octa-core (4×2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53);
• CAMERA: Dual 20 MP +12 MP, f/1.6, OIS, 2x lossless zoom, Leica optics, phase detection & laser autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash;
• VIDEO: [email protected] , [email protected] /60fps;
• BATTERY: Li-Po 4000 mAh;

Design of Huawei Mate 10 Lite

Premium materials were used to assemble the case: metal side frame and back. There are also the usual plastic inserts that improve the quality of communication reception. The front panel is covered with protective glass made with a 2.5D effect. The frames around the perimeter of the display are small, but they are there, so the hero of our review cannot be called frameless.

Traditionally, there are no functional elements under the display; only the manufacturer’s logo is displayed.

On top there is the usual set of sensors, a conversational speaker, an LED event indicator and a front camera represented by a dual module. Already out of the box, a film is glued to the display, which provides it with reliable protection from scratches. But in order for the phone to survive a fall, it is better to glue the glass.

When purchasing, you will have a choice of a black or blue case. All edges are rounded, which ensures a comfortable hand grip and the absence of any discomfort during use. All functional elements are located in the usual place; in this regard, the manufacturer has developed a convenient formula and continues to follow it in each of its smartphones.

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite review shows that there is a volume rocker on the right, as well as a power key.

The left side is occupied by a hybrid slot. Once again we are faced with a choice - a second SIM card or microSD, which not everyone will appreciate.

Only an additional microphone was placed on the top panel, effectively suppressing noise during a conversation or video recording.

At the bottom there is an external speaker, a microphone, and a 3.5 mm audio jack, for which we can say a special thank you. But the use of the microUSB port was a complete disappointment - the format is already seriously outdated, but the manufacturer still installs USB-C exclusively in its flagship devices. The same applies to the NFC chip and dual-band Wi-Fi. I would like to believe that the situation will change soon.

The backdrop is made of metal and looks especially beautiful in the blue version. Two horizontal plastic inserts hide the antennas underneath. On top is the main dual camera, which does not protrude much, but still protrudes beyond the body. A flash is installed above it, and a fingerprint scanner is provided just below. It can be used not only to restrict access to a smartphone, but also to control gestures. So, swiping from top to bottom opens the notification curtain. There are additional options that can be found in the settings.

The review of the Huawei Mate 10 Lite smartphone showed that the device turned out to be easy to use and visually attractive. Its ergonomics benefit from its small thickness and rounded edges. The 5.9-inch device fits well in the hand, although of course you won’t be able to reach the top point with one hand. The build quality is at the highest level; you wouldn’t expect anything else from Huawei. The only questionable solution is the protruding camera, which makes it possible to accidentally damage it when the smartphone is lying on its back. The solution may be film, which can be ordered for almost nothing on Aliexpress.

Display

Huawei Mate 10 Lite 64gb black review showed that it has a high-quality IPS screen with a 5.9-inch diagonal, FullHD+ (2160x1080) resolution and an 18:9 aspect ratio (due to this, more content can be placed on the display, which makes it more convenient work with him). It occupies 76.5% of the front panel, which distances it from frameless ones. The pixel density reaches 409 ppi. The viewing angles are excellent, but the brightness reserve is not enough. There are no complaints about the minimum mark - it makes it convenient to work in a dark room, but the maximum mark is limited to 354.093 cd/m2, which is why the picture remains readable in the sun, but fades a little. The film covering the screen has a good oleophobic coating.

A review of Huawei Mate 10 Lite 4 64gb showed that in the settings there is the ability to adjust the color temperature and a reading mode, which filters out blue radiation harmful to the eyes. Factory calibration has a slight bias towards cool colors.

Screen

But I liked the screen much less.

Everything is fine with the sizes. Screen diagonal - 5.9 inches. Resolution - 2160*1080 pixels. An IPS matrix is ​​used.

But this solution does not stand up to comparison with the excellent AMOLED matrix used in the Huawei Mate 10 Pro.

Here the color rendition is noticeably worse. And the brightness margin is much less. On a bright sunny day, the Mate 10 Lite's screen fades a lot. This is especially noticeable in the camera application. You have to shoot almost blindly.

On the plus side, a protective film is immediately glued to the screen. If you are not a fan of such solutions, feel free to remove it. The screen is covered with an excellent oleophobic coating, fingerprints are almost invisible on it.

Performance of Huawei Mate 10 Lite

If you have already read our review of the Huawei Nova 2, then you are already familiar with the Kirin 659 processor, which is also used in the Mate 10 Lite. The manufacturer continues to use chips of its own design, which, although slightly inferior to Snapdragon solutions, are getting closer to them. Huawei Mate 10 Lite specifications are based on a 16-nm process technology, which has 8 cores with a frequency of up to 2.36 GHz. The Mali-T830MP2 graphics accelerator processes graphics in games. In addition to everything, there is 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory, the volume of which can be increased with a microSD card. This set of characteristics has already become a standard in the mid-price segment.

Huawei Mate 10 Lite 64 gb review showed that the interface simply flies, and the games are not bad, you can run them not on maximum graphics.

Huawei Mate 10 Lite antutu

Hardware platform

The characteristics of the Mate 10 Lite are in many ways comparable to the Huawei Nova 2 - the same Kirin 659, 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. At first glance, everything looks very tempting - an eight-core processor with a clock frequency of up to 2.36 GHz, the memory capacity is “flagship” and there should be no complaints about the standard combined NanoSIM tray and memory card.

But as soon as you start looking into the details, you quickly discover what tricks the manufacturer went to to make the model cheaper and simpler. In particular, the Mate 10 Lite uses a microUSB connector to charge and synchronize; there is no support for 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, NFC or fast battery charging functions. I can’t say that the absence of all these functions greatly spoils the impression of the model and it’s difficult to live without them, but these features need to be noted.

At the same time, from the point of view of everyday performance, the Mate 10 Lite leaves a positive impression - we have a smartphone with a comfortable operating speed without obvious brakes. The average performance of the chipset used can be noticeable in games, especially considering that not the most powerful GPU has to process information for a high-resolution screen.

It turns out that the smartphone seems to be quite fast, but it doesn’t have a large reserve of “strength” for years to come. On the other hand, you can say about the same thing about many mid-segment smartphones, and it is better to evaluate the capabilities of the hardware in relation to your tasks. The Lite may not suit the demanding gamer, but is great for most casual entertainment.

Wireless communications

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite graphite black smartphone received a full list of wireless communications, with the exception of the NFC chip - Bluetooth 4.2, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, GPS, as well as GLONASS, which provides ample opportunities for navigation on the ground. By the way, satellites are detected quickly, and reconnection occurs instantly. One of the downsides is the use of an outdated microUSB port, which exchanges data more slowly and is not able to provide as fast charging as is the case with USB-C.

Autonomy

Huawei Mate 10 Lite dual sim 4/64gb blue uses a 3340 mAh battery, which is not much considering its display diagonal, but in practice we have more than decent results. On average, one charge is enough for 1-1.5 days of use with 6 hours of display activity. The result is approximately comparable to OnePlus 5T. The situation is improved by proprietary energy-saving modes.

A full charge from 0 to 100% takes 2.5 hours when using the supplied AC adapter with 5V/2A parameters.

Bottom line

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite is a really interesting phone because it clearly shows how mid-range devices are trying to stand out from their peers. It's very durable, has a 2:1 screen with minimal bezels, and performs smoothly in daily use.

With a few tweaks, the Mate 10 Lite's camera produces good daylight shots. Portrait mode does its job well, and the fingerprint scanner is fast and accurate.

If you close your eyes to all the shortcomings, the Mate 10 Lite from Huawei can be safely recommended for purchase.

Advantages of Huawei Mate 10 Lite

• Good value for money.
• Smooth performance in daily use.
• 2:1 display with oleophobic coating.
• Solid build quality.
• Good camera quality in daylight.
• Lots of internal memory for storage.
• Fast fingerprint scanner.
• Four cameras.

Disadvantages of Mate 10 Lite

• The display is not very good in direct light.
• Bad photos with insufficient lighting.
• Poor video quality.
• Outdated MicroUSB port.
• No wireless charging.
• No protection against moisture.
• No NFC.

Interface

Huawei Mate 10 Lite 64gb blue review showed that the device runs on Android 7.0, on top of which the proprietary EMUI 5.1 shell is applied. The changes primarily lie in the appearance of the elements and the wide range of gesture controls.

Design

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite smartphone is a fairly large device. A common problem with such phones is their large size and excessive bulkiness. In this case, the buyer will not see anything like this. Thanks to the expansion of the physical dimensions of the matrix, the device fits well in the hand, and the metal body leaves an extremely pleasant impression. The case is not easily soiled, and even without a case it does not look dirty during active use.

In terms of the layout of interfaces and modules, everything is standard. Any Huawei device created in recent years will be exactly like the Huawei Mate 10 Lite. On the front panel, almost the entire surface is a screen. Above the screen there is a dual camera, a proximity and light sensor, an event indicator, and a speaker. Below the screen you can see the brand name.

If you turn the device over, the picture as a whole is repeated - a round fingerprint scanner, a dual camera, a small flash eye. The camera module is convex and raised several millimeters above the surface of the device. At the bottom there is a headphone connection, charging, and a speaker. The upper end was used to place a microphone. On the left is the combo slot, on the right is the power button and volume rocker.

On a note! A strange point is the charging socket. In a device released at the end of 2021, the presence of microUSB seems like an alien element. However, the fact remains.

Sound

The Huawei Mate 10 Lite 4/64gb blue does not have a stereo sound effect when the conversational speaker is playing together with the main speaker. The sound quality can be described as average - the sound is really good, but it does not stand out in any way compared to its competitors. The same applies to the volume reserve.

But there is also a big advantage in comparison with the older brothers in the line - the 3.5 mm jack has been preserved, which means you can use a wired headset without restrictions. The sound in the headphones is excellent, and in addition, you can customize it to suit yourself using various presets in the settings. There is an Apt-X codec, which improves the quality of music playback in wireless headphones. When talking, you can hear your interlocutor well, as well as he can hear you. Obviously, the noise reduction system does its job perfectly.

Cameras

A review of the Huawei Mate 10 Lite camera shows that emphasis was placed on it during development. It’s surprising that 4 modules are used here at once - 2 front and 2 main. Each system has a main one (16 megapixels at the back and 13 megapixels at the front) and an additional 2 megapixel module. It was added to create spectacular bokeh.

During the review, I came to the conclusion that the Huawei Mate 10 Lite is inferior to the Nova 2 in terms of shooting quality, although this can be forgiven for its more affordable price tag. It uses different, lower-aperture optics, which makes the pictures more dependent on lighting conditions. During the day, cameras can take excellent pictures, with good detail and color reproduction, but as conditions worsen, more and more noise appears. The result is standard for the mid-price category; only the dual cameras distinguish the smartphone.

Example photo on Huawei Mate 10 Lite

The main feature is the Bokeh effect on the main and front modules of the Mate 10 Lite, but when taking photographs you need to make sure that the subject is not too far from the camera. Also, its edges and background should not merge; automatic focusing does not always work correctly.

The front camera can not only blur the background, but also smoothes the skin, eliminating visual imperfections of the face and supports shooting with gestures. In low light conditions, the display is used as a flash, which allows you to get decent shots in any conditions.

Conclusion

Huawei Mate 10 Lite is an excellent alternative for those who cannot afford the company's flagships. It has a bright and recognizable design, as well as optimal filling for its price. It can be called an ideal choice in terms of price and features offered. The main advantage was the display, which received a newfangled aspect ratio and high resolution. Combined with autonomy and good performance, this opens up excellent opportunities for working with content.

Advantages:

• High-quality display 18:9;
• Design with minimal frames;
• Optimal memory capacity and decent performance;
• Autonomy and Bokeh effect in both cameras.

Flaws:

• microUSB port;
• Lack of support for NFC chip and 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Comments for the site Cackl e

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Working hours

The smartphone has a built-in battery with a capacity of 3340 mAh. In my hands, with many programs installed, in a fairly active testing mode, Lite worked for a day and a half, showing up to 6 hours of active screen. This result can be called quite good.

For a less active user, the Mate 10 Lite should last noticeably longer, especially if you take advantage of the built-in power saving modes.

4.5

ITC.UA rating

Pros: high-quality screen with an aspect ratio of 18:9 and a design with small frames, body materials, memory amounts, normal performance, operating time, fingerprint scanner with additional functionality, background blur function in cameras

Cons: lack of a number of modern technologies (USB Type-C, Wi-Fi 5 GHz, NFC and fast charging)

Conclusion: Huawei Mate 10 Lite is a good example of what a “light” version of a flagship can be. In some technological nuances it turned out to be simple, but overall the smartphone looks like an offer with a good price/quality ratio. A large and high-quality screen with an aspect ratio of 18:9, a nice body, good performance and battery life can provide a content consumption experience comparable to flagships that cost significantly more. Of course, there are a few smartphones on the market with simply very large screens (primarily the Xiaomi Mi Max 2), but the Mate 10 Lite has a chance to remain perhaps the only mid-segment device with a “high” screen and dual cameras for at least a couple of months and normal ease of use. This is the whole point of the device - Huawei has collected all the fashionable features and offers them for relatively reasonable money.

Specifications