News

Huawei resurrects ‘Mate’ with the Mate 50 series in China

Four Mates to choose from

Published

September 6, 2022

Vincenz

Image by GadgetMatch

If you can still recall, Huawei launched the last “Mate” in October 2020 — potentially the last of its kind.

But just like the latest rumor of the Mate line being re-launched this September 2022, they have officially announced the comeback of the series with not just one, but four Mate 50 models in China.

Mate 50 + Mate 50E

Let’s start with the two similarly-looking models of the series: The Mate 50 and the Mate 50E.

Image by GadgetMatch

Both phones sport a 6.7-inch Full HD+ OLED flat display with 90Hz refresh rate and 300Hz touch sampling rate. These displays also support 1.07 Billion Colors and DCI-P3 wide color gamut. However, the Mate 50 has Huawei’s in-house Kunlun glass protection and an IP68 water and dust resistance rating that the Mate 50E does not possess.

Image by GadgetMatch

Each phone also has what they call a 50MP “Super Optical Camera” with a variable aperture between f/1.4 to f/4.0 plus a 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens. Their 13MP f/2.4 selfie cameras are also similar. The differentiating factor has got to be the Mate 50’s 12MP periscope telephoto lens that supports 5x optical zoom and up to 50x digital zoom.

Image by GadgetMatch

Other notable differences are the chipsets used. The Mate 50 is equipped with the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. Meanwhile, the Mate 50E has a toned-down Snapdragon 778G chipset just like the Honor 70, Xiaomi 12 Lite, Nothing Phone (1), and the Samsung Galaxy A73 5G. Unfortunately, despite the mentioned chipsets being 5G-capable, both are only limited to 4G connectivity.

There are other similarities too like the 4460mAh battery, 66W SuperCharge + reverse charging capabilities, and choices between 8GB RAM + 128 or 256GB UFS 3.1 configurations with NM card expansion of up to 256GB. However, the Mate 50 supports 50W Wireless SuperCharge and is available in a bigger 512GB option.

Mate 50 Pro

This 2022, Huawei decided to scrap the “Pro+” model in favor of the lone Mate 50 Pro flagship.

Unlike the two models aforementioned, the Mate 50 Pro features a 6.74-inch OLED curved display with a 120Hz refresh rate that’s totally reminiscent of the Mate 30 Pro from three years ago. Aside from the same 13MP f/2.4 selfie camera, there’s also a 3D depth sensor for more secure biometrics.

Other display specs are similar from the other Mate 50 phones: 300Hz touch sampling rate plus DCI-P3 wide color gamut and 1.07 Billion Color support.

Image by GadgetMatch

Other than that, the cameras are quite similar from the first two Mates: a 50MP Super Optical main camera with an adjustable f/1.4 to f/4.0 aperture plus OIS, paired with a 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera. What makes it “Pro” is its 64MP 3.5x periscope telephoto lens with OIS — similar to that of the Huawei P50 Pro that can zoom up to 100x minus the LEICA optics.

Lastly, it’s also powered by the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G chipset and 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM with either 256GB or 512GB storage options + NM card storage expansion. Battery is quite bigger at 4700mAh with 66W SuperCharge, 50W Wireless SuperCharge, and 5W reverse charging. It’s also IP68-rated and has the Huawei Kunlun glass protection.

Porsche Design Mate 50 RS

Lastly, there’s still a variant highlighting the solid partnership between Huawei and Porsche Design — a collaboration that started four years ago. While it has the most aggressive design in the Mate 50 series, the design is very much like the Porsche Design Mate 40 RS as well as the Honor Magic4 Ultimate. Its back is also made out of ceramic glass.

Its hardware specifications are very similar to the Mate 50 Pro: display, cameras, IP rating, battery capacity, charging speeds, and even the non-5G Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset used. But, the Mate 50 RS has a plentiful 12GB of LPDDR5 memory, plus a different periscope telephoto lens with a smaller megapixel count but a wider aperture — 48MP f/3.0 vs Mate 50 Pro’s 64MP f/3.5. Albeit, it still has the same 3.5x to 100x zoom capabilities.

Image by GadgetMatch

The Mate 50 RS is also limited to a 512GB storage option, still with NM card support. As obvious as it looks, the Huawei Porsche Design Mate 50 RS also has a different set of leather cases and accessories that complement well the aesthetic of the sports car’s fashion-focused subsidiary.

Pricing and Availability

The Huawei Mate 50 series is currently available for pre-orders in China. There’s no word on global availability just yet.

Image by GadgetMatch

There are several color options and pricing configurations* (in Chinese Yuan or Renminbi SRP) for the Mate 50 series:

Mate 50E (Obsidian Black, Frost Silver, Streamer Purple)

128GB = CNY 3999 (US$ 559 / EUR 579 / GBP 518 / SG$ 801 / PhP 32,946)
256GB = CNY 4499 (US$ 628 / EUR 651 / GBP 582 / SG$ 902 / PhP 37,065)

Mate50 (Obsidian Black, Frost Silver, Streamer Purple, Daybreak Kunlun, Kunlun Xiaguang)

128GB = CNY 4999 (US$ 721 / EUR 727 / GBP 628 / SG$ 1013 / PhP 41,055)
256GB = CNY 5499 (US$ 793 / EUR 800 / GBP 691 / SG$ 1114 / PhP 45,162)
512GB = CNY 6499 (US$ 938 / EUR 1317 / GBP 816 / SG$ 1317 / PhP 53,374)

Mate 50 Pro (Obsidian Black, Frost Silver, Streamer Purple, Daybreak Kunlun, Kunlun Xiaguang)

256GB = CNY 6799 (US$ 981 / EUR 989 / GBP 854 / SG$ 1377 / PhP 55,838)
512GB = CNY 7799 (US$ 1125 / EUR 1134 / GBP 979 / SG$ 1580 / PhP 64,051)

Porsche Design Mate 50 RS (Dark Blue Porcelain, Carmine Porcelain)

512GB = CNY 12999 (US$ 1875 / EUR 1890 / GBP 1632 / SG$ 2634 / PhP 106,757)

Apps

Honor, Xiaomi are working on their own Privacy Displays

Samsung’s Privacy Display is apparently very popular.

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Normally, a smartphone brand’s blatant copying of another brand’s feature is not a good practice. Today, however, there is a new feature that we wish other brands would copy: Samsung’s Privacy Display. Thankfully, some brands, like Honor, have finally gotten the message and are working on version of the feature.

As reported by Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Honor is reportedly working on a privacy screen for its smartphones. Likewise, Xiaomi is working on the same thing, potentially launching the feature for the Xiaomi 18 Pro.

For the uninitiated, the Samsung Privacy Display is a built-in feature that blocks visibility of the screen at certain angles. If you’re not looking at the screen from the front, all you’ll see is a black void. It’s a built-in version of those protective screens that you can buy separately. Besides adding a nice layer of protection against scratches, it’s also meant to prevent snooping from your shoulder.

Samsung’s take was widely acclaimed for being insanely useful. When it arrives, this feature will be a godsend to more brands. Even better, users will no longer need to rely on third-party screen just to enjoy the privacy.

That said, there’s still no indication as to when these features will arrive on either Honor or Xiaomi.

News

Nothing will launch the Phone (4b) next month

It will feature an all-new design.

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Earlier this week, Nothing confirmed that CMF will no longer get a new smartphone later this year. However, the company also teased that a new model is still coming to Nothing itself. The initial tease did not include a model name or an image, thereby shrouding the new phone in mystery. Now, the mystery is gone as Nothing has definitively confirmed what’s coming: the Nothing (4b).

Nope, that’s not a typo. Nothing is following up the Phone (4a) series with the Phone (4b).

On X, Nothing teased the upcoming smartphone with a rough sketch of the model. Surrounded by designs from the Phone (4a) series, the Phone (4b)’s design shakes things up by introducing the usual wide camera island but affixing only a small vertical camera setup on the left side.

Meanwhile, a smaller pill-shaped cutout likely houses the phone’s LED flashes. Finally, a light strip on the lower right of the island will probably feature the model’s lighting element.

The Nothing (4b)’s launch is just over the horizon. The company has confirmed that the model will launch on July 7.

This is likely Nothing’s last ace up its sleeve this year. Earlier this year, Carl Pei already confirmed that the flagship-level Phone (4) will not arrive until next year.

Apps

Meta is reportedly experimenting on a gambling app

Users can spend virtual points on Arena.

Published

June 24, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Meta does not have the most stellar of reputations. Despite offering the world’s most popular social media platforms, the company, through its various experiments throughout the years, continuously proves that it has other priorities than just providing the best for its users. Today, another reported experiment wants to take Meta to a new market that its users might fall into: the prediction market.

If you haven’t heard of the prediction market, consider yourself lucky. These apps, such as Kalshi, are basically just gambling platforms without the glitz of playing cards or the rigor of the stock market. Users gamble on mundane circumstances like the weather and more serious ones like war.

Today, as reported by The New York Times, Mark Zuckerberg is reportedly asking Meta to develop a prediction app of its own. Interestingly, the experimental app, supposedly called Arena, will use virtual points, rather than real money. However, Meta has not ruled out real money — and hence, real gambling — in the future.

Meta is entering the industry at an extremely volatile time. The world is starting to crack down on prediction markets. Some users, for example, have been accused of using insider information to get easy wins on these platforms. Some markets have also accused these platforms of subverting anti-gambling laws.