It seems like HUAWEI is unstoppable with their very confusing way of silently rolling out devices within just two weeks.

The first two phones on the Mate 60 series (Base and Pro variants) were announced in the last week of August. This early September, it seems like the rumors were true after all as the company unveiled their full-on flagship, the HUAWEI Mate 60 Pro+. This product unveil was announced alongside the slightly-revamped HUAWEI Mate X5.

UPDATE: The HUAWEI Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design was finally unveiled at the very end of September and completes the 2023 Mate lineup.

Pro+ Reborn

HUAWEI Mate 40 Pro (2020)

It was in 2020 when HUAWEI had a Pro+ model with the Mate 40 series — or the so-we-thought the last of its kind.

HUAWEI Mate 50 Series (2022)

After two years, HUAWEI resurrected the Mate lineup with four different versions — but the Pro+ wasn’t in that list. Instead, the best Mate 50 variant you could get last year was the Porsche Design RS model with great hardware and a stealthier design in mind.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Finally, after three years of hiatus, HUAWEI has finally decided to bring back the Pro+ line to life.

For the flagship-savvy

I’m already gonna spoil you: there are just quite a few (but major) changes that the HUAWEI Mate 60 Pro+ has over its “lesser Pro” sibling.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

First, its got better storage and memory configurations for flagship-savvy users. There’s a bigger 16GB RAM. You can also choose between just the 512GB or a whopping 1TB storage option.

If that’s still not enough for your storage needs, HUAWEI’s NM (Nano Memory) card saves the day with its up to 256GB expandability.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Second, unlike its lesser Pro siblings, the Mate 60 Pro+ are only being offered in two classic yet streamlined-looking colorways: Xuanbai (which is white), and Inkstone Black.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Last but definitely not the least, both Pro phones have two major differences in their respective camera department:

Of course, this is with the inclusion of HUAWEI’s excellent XMAGE imaging system.

Best in Class

As the old saying goes: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The Mate 60 Pro+ still keeps the best in class features that its Pro sibling already have.

On the outside, they’re just like twins: 8.1mm thin and a lightweight smartphone at just 225 grams.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Display specifics are never different: 6.82-inch LTPO OLED Full HD+ display with a 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 300Hz touch sampling rate, 1440Hz PWM Dimming, plus DCI-P3 Wide Color Gamut and 1.07 Billion Colors support.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Of course, it would be questionable if they didn’t equip it with the new triple punch-hole cutout — which can later be changed to a pill-shaped one via its software settings.

Battery? Still that 5000mAh battery with 88W wired SuperCharge support, 50W through wireless, and 20W when reverse wireless charging is being used.

Last but definitely not the least is found inside its core. The HUAWEI Mate 60 Pro+ is also powered by the newest Kirin 9000s chipset in a 7nm process.

Though its official spec sheet say nothing about the CPU it uses, it’s very evident that HUAWEI has invested much of their time and money on R&D just to manufacture their own chips without having to deal with partnership issues alongside other manufacturers. This enables not just 5G connectivity but also the company’s satellite communication technology altogether.

Satellite Service Support

Speaking of, unlike the Mate 60 Pro, the Pro+ version supports both two different Chinese satellite-based services: Beidou and Tiantong.

Beidou satellite tech first made its debut on the HUAWEI Mate X3 and P60 series. This technology doesn’t require any SIM card in order for it to work but has limitations when it comes to sending messages. Making calls are simply impossible.

Whereas Tiantong-based satellite tech prompts the user to insert a SIM card prior using the service. This also means it can do more than messaging such as calls, sending media, and even surfing the web.

Beidou is currently free of charge when sending short messages under public beta testing while Tiantong offers several plans for users to avail — whether it’s for local or international use.

Utmost robustness

The “Xuanwu architecture” (or Xuanwu design) wasn’t forgotten. With an ultra-strong basalt body and ultra-durable brocade fiber material alongside HUAWEI’s very-own second-generation Kunlun Glass, it gives the phone a three-layer protection and strengthens the phone’s overall reliability.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Other flagship features worth keeping are the IP68 water and dust resistance rating.

Ultimate Design

As previously rumored, the long-term collaboration between the fashion brand Porsche Design and the Chinese company has come to an end as the Chinese company didn’t want to renew their partnership that started last 2016 with the Porsche Design Huawei Mate 9. Thus, the Mate 60 RS “Ultimate Design” was born (and actually trademarked by HUAWEI).

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

Specs-wise, it’s the same Mate 60 Pro+ but in a classier, more premium aesthetics plus a more intricate craftsmanship. But unlike the Mate 50 RS Porsche Design, there are no differences in this year’s cameras nor device configurations.

Graphics by Vincenz Lee | GadgetMatch

To make it easier to differentiate, the Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design uses a ceramic and metal combo. On the other hand, the Mate 60 Pro+ features leather and metal while the Mate 60 sticks with glass and metal.

You can choose between two bold colors: Ruihong (Red) and Xuanhei (Black on Black).

Pricing and availability

As previously mentioned, the HUAWEI Mate 60 Pro+ and Mate 60 RS Ultimate Design are limited with just two configurations:

Mate 60 Pro+

• 16GB + 512GB = CNY 8999 (US$ 1231 / EUR 1158 / GBP 1007 / SG$ 1682 / PhP 69,865 / INR 102,319)
• 16GB + 1TB = CNY 9999 (US$ 1368 / EUR 1286 / GBP 1119 / SG$ 1868 / PhP 77,628 / INR 113,689)

Mate 60 Pro RS Ultimate Design

• 16GB + 512GB = CNY 11,999 (US$ 1641 / EUR 1543 / GBP 1342 / SG$ 2242 / PhP 93,156 / INR 136,429)
• 16GB + 1TB = CNY 12,999 (US$ 1778 / EUR 1672 / GBP 1454 / SG$ 2429 / PhP 100,919 / INR 147,799)

Previously, HUAWEI has promised that the pre-ordered Mate 60 Pro+ units are expected to arrive before October 9, 2023 (Monday). It’s later moved to October 21, 2023 (Saturday).

There’s no word on the global availability of these new releases from HUAWEI. Still, don’t keep your expectations too high.

The thought of this phone being equipped with the new 5G Kirin chipset most likely hints that they will have the same fate as the other two Mate 60 models where a company representative confirmed them being solely China-exclusive. Still, we’re crossing our fingers for a global variant of at least the Mate 60 Pro+.