Like it or not, brands continue to push boundaries in tech and innovation by bringing us super slender slabs on the table.

From Samsung’s Galaxy S25 Edge, TECNO’s SPARK Slim, and Apple’s iPhone 17 Air, HUAWEI re-explores this year’s Mate line with an all-new model: the Mate 70 Air.

Editor’s Note: No one’s entirely sure if HUAWEI is going to skip the Mate 80 series for 2025.

The Thinnest Mate

Although the Mate 70 Air doesn’t totally beat iPhone Air’s 5.68mm thinness, it’s still HUAWEI’s thinnest slimmest single-slab smartphone to date at just 6.6mm thin!

Hidden beneath this ultra-thin design is a large 6500mAh Si/C battery.

It also fills in the lapses of the iPhone Air by incorporating a large VC (Vapor Cooling) chamber as well as the inclusion of dual stereo speakers.

Fast charging is capped at 66W through HUAWEI’s SuperCharge standards although unlike the iPhone and Galaxy, the Mate 70 Air lacks wireless charging.

This time, HUAWEI has indicated the processor it uses. It’s powered by the company’s in-house chipsets: Kirin 9020A for 16GB variants while 9020B for the smaller 12GB models.

Definitively, the Mate 70 Air is also the first super-slim smartphone that boasts a triple camera system.

And by that, it houses the three main focal lengths in modern-day smartphones: 1x wide (main), ultra-wide, and even a telephoto module intact.

To be precise, it has a 50MP f/1.8 main camera based on a 1/1.3-inch sensor plus an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle lens that doubles as a macro unit.

Last but definitely not the least, there’s the 12MP f/2.4 RYYB telephoto module that can take shots in 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digitally.

Front camera is a 10MP f/2.2 ultra-wide shooter.

Video recording is capped at 4K with AIS in mind (yes, AI-based image stabilization). Don’t be confused though as the main and telephoto cameras still have OIS built-in.

7-inch after 7 years!

The HUAWEI Mate 70 Air boasts a massive display not just in theory, but in real numbers. And by that, it has a massive 7.0-inch display.

After the 7.2-inch touting Mate 20X from seven (7) years ago, it’s the second HUAWEI phone to boast a screen past the 6-inch mark.

It’s a 120Hz Full HD+ OLED display capable of producing up to 4000 nits of peak brightness and has Audio and HDR Vivid Certifications as well.

And as surprising as it seems, it’s the only other slab that has stylus support (other than the Galaxy S series).

Covering that is none other than HUAWEI’s latest-gen Kunlun glass.

And while we’re at it, an ultra-durable brocade material was also used. This improves impact resistance of up to 10 times.

It also features the quintessential dual IP68 + IP69 water and dust resistance rating.

Lastly, it runs China-based HarmonyOS 5.1 with intelligent AI features in line.

Also, an upgraded Wi-Fi 7+ support debuts here that can easily penetrate walls and reduce unwanted buffering while streaming.

Two-way satellite services, at least in China, is also supported through Beidou.

Pricing and Availability

The HUAWEI Mate 70 Air is available in Obsidian Black, Feathered White, plus Gold and Silver Brocade color choices.

Mainland China pricing and configuration are as follows:

• 12+256GB =CNY 4199 (US$ 585 / EUR 505 / GBP 430 / SG$ 750 / PhP 33,430 / INR 50,360)
• 12+512GB = CNY 4699 (US$ 660 / EUR 570 / GBP 495 / SG$ 860 / MYR 2780 / PhP 38,400 / INR 58,300)
• 16+256GB = CNY 4699 (US$ 660 / EUR 570 / GBP 495 / SG$ 860 / MYR 2780 / PhP 38,400 / INR 58,300)
• 16+512GB = CNY 5199 (US$ 730 / EUR 630 / GBP 550 / SG$ 950 / MYR 3075 / PhP 42,485 / INR 64,500)

* These are only approximate, rounded-off conversions for reference

As usual, global availability was never indicated. We just have to wait if they will bring this to overseas markets like this year’s Pura 80 series.

January is always a month to remember because of Samsung. The smartphone brand usually launches the year’s Galaxy lineup. For example, the current Galaxy S25 series launched on January 22 this year. However, next year might be a different story. According to a new report, Samsung will hold its first Galaxy Unpacked event in late February.

Based on a report from the Korean outlet Money Today, Samsung is letting the Galaxy 26 series marinate a tiny bit more because of Galaxy AI. The brand is even hosting the event in San Francisco, the supposed center for AI technology.

The report also states that Samsung is evaluating its current lineup. This year, the brand launched the Galaxy S25 Edge. However, the new model’s sales have been reportedly lackluster, potentially prompting a return to the old model next year. The Galaxy S26 series might have the more traditional three-piece lineup consisting of the basic, the plus, and the ultra models.

Now, ahead of the new lineup’s launch, a lot of rumors are already going around about the Galaxy S26’s chipset. The brand is supposedly going all-in once again on Exynos. The upcoming Exynos 2600 can go up against Apple’s A19 Pro, if the reports are to be believed.

SEE ALSO: Samsung might bring a stronger Exynos to the Galaxy S26 series

After a month of use, the realme 15 Pro 5G’s final grade hinged on one question: Is it worth the asking price?

realme decided to axe the “Pro Plus” variant from its numbered series starting with the realme 15 lineup. The simpler batch is composed of the base, the Pro, and a 15T in between.

The move meant realme nudged the “Pro” variant into pseudo-premium territory. Although, marketing focused on its 7,000mAh battery for all-day battery, as well as its capable cameras.

After a month of use, I think the latest numbered series is a letdown compared to the ones that came before them (and impressed, at that).

Camera performance: Stills

In spite of what it buoys as a triple 50MP branding, the glaring missing piece with the realme 15 Pro is the telephoto camera.

The 50MP main camera can only support up to 2X optical zoom without a dedicated telephoto lens.

Meanwhile, the 50MP ultra-wide shooter does improve the quality of 0.6X captures, and in some captures, they’re noticeable.

But the difference wouldn’t matter too much when viewed on small screens. Where I can leverage this advantage is for filming. More on that in a few.

I would have loved for realme to have kept the long-distance shooters. Anything beyond 2X, although aided by AI and further processing to retain detail, looks inferior in quality.

The telephoto camera is something I’ve appreciated beginning from the realme 12 series to the 14 series. The optical quality of dedicated cameras from rivals are far better, and on some shots, you want that “crop factor” too.

Results wise, yes, you will still get sharp, clear, and color-accurate captures from the 15 Pro at 1X and 2X zooms.

Here are some samples:

There are two preset shooting modes: Vibrant, which amply brightens the light parts, and Crisp, which kind of underexposes the result at a glance.

But details under Crisp are actually retained even in the dark parts, and this allows for more flexibility in editing like just shooting up the shadows or lowering the contrast a bit.

In a nutshell, when the lighting conditions are already sufficient, opt for Crisp as Vibrant tend to overexpose light parts too.

A few side-by-side photos:

One of the noticeable issues are the lack of depth on non-Portrait captures. It has something to do with the inconsistencies in contrast and HDR on some shots where there are blown-up parts or darkened ones.

Portrait Mode still excelled by emphasizing subjects with smooth segmentation. This goes for all subjects, from food to people to inanimate objects.

Instead of an AI Snapshot Mode, we also got just the more common Street Mode, also known as DIS on other realme devices.

From a triple flash setup from the 14 Pro Plus, realme went with a dual flash arrangement. One emits warm light while the other, white.

On the positive side, the 50MP front camera offers a good mix of naturalness and social media-ready quality for stills.

Night and low-light processing could be better.

Camera performance: Filming

When it comes to filming, the realme 15 Pro does offer a lot more shooting versatility compared to its predecessors.

The 50MP ultrawide camera can shoot up to 4K videos at 60fps. Ditto with the selfie camera. Color science is pleasing, though low-light performance lags, as in the case of stills.

I love the stabilization on both rear cameras. It allows for steadier content, especially on “parallax” shots for social media videos.

However, you still cannot zoom in when you start the video from 0.6X zoom, unlike other legitimate flagships.

The ultrawide angle can be leveraged for establishing shots or to show a wider view for audiences in tight spaces. For me, zooming in to around 1.5X for a crop factor also enabled me to highlight subjects more.

Here are a couple of vlogs I made using the phone:

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I would recommend the phone for creators who prioritize video versatility over mobile photography. But creators don’t buy phones in a vacuum; the rest of the package matters.

General performance

Performance-wise, the realme 15 Pro does have a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor. It’s capable, but not competitive at this price.

The value-performance triangle feels stretched, and it’s a poor trade-off for performance-focused consumers.

Also, the phone supports Wi-Fi 6 but that is underutilized since the processor isn’t as powerful as other PhP 30,000 handsets.

For instance, the HONOR 400 Pro can render and upload videos on social media way faster, along with better GPU performance.

Moreover, the 15 Pro’s 5G connectivity is also challenged in difficult areas, compared to, say, OPPO devices with its AI LinkBoost. It takes some to switch back to 5G or 4G networks.

As I am about to transition to its display, it’s also worth noting that there have been occasional video latency when filming.

I wasn’t able to see what I was filming in real-time as smoothly as I would have wanted to. It was just jittery. But when I review them afterwards, they turn out just alright.

Editing reels on my preferred mobile app also experienced some hurdles during video playback.

Fortunately, I didn’t experience the same for gaming, although I haven’t exhausted it too much for challenging titles.

I only had Call of Duty Mobile and Racing Master and both games went smoothly even with high graphics settings. Jaggies weren’t persistent throughout sessions.

Display issues

Another constant issue with the 15 Pro throughout my time with it was the display.

Although we weren’t able to document it, there have been several instances where the display just blacked out or had green static screen issues.

There were also moments of dark vignettes appearing. I had to press the power button to turn the display off for a second first before unlocking it again to revert back to normal.

Furthermore, there have been instances that the display was unresponsive to touches or had ghost touches.

I experienced this a few times with tapping the shutter for capturing photos. I had to go with the volume buttons instead.

Typing on the keyboard just led to misspelled words too. I don’t know what triggers all of these, but there have been way too many unsmooth experiences.

To be fair, I did ask some colleagues on whether they’ve had the same issues and they said no. Let’s just assume we’re all telling the truth.

The 6.8-inch 144Hz panel itself does deliver crystal-clear visuals as in the case of viewing videos at full HD or checking photos. There are several presets if you want the display to look more vivid or natural too.

With a 6,500-nit peak brightness, there’s no problem looking at what’s on it too when outdoors or against the window light in some cases.

But as I’ve mentioned endlessly, I am not a fan of curved displays. Side swipes misfire, which is pretty common. And you don’t get the full picture on vertical content either.

All-day battery

Perhaps, the 7000mAh battery is the realme 15 Pro’s champion feature. It’s the one area where marketing and reality aligns.

The phone easily provides ample power for 10 to 12 hours of use outside. That’s with Power Saving Mode and mobile data on.

“All-day battery life” in the context of smartphone usage will always be subjective. But I wouldn’t say I was challenged to drain it.

On lighter days, the phone was more of a mobile hotspot and I only had to glance on the display every now and then. Naturally, I still had about 40 to 50% left.

Usage included browsing, communication, photos and videos, editing reels, uploading them, and more in between.

Charging takes just about an hour to refuel back to 80%, which is quite impressive given this has a larger battery capacity.

Design

Truly marking the start of a new chapter, realme decided to likewise ditch the circular, timepiece-inspired camera islands and instead went with a squarish module on the upper left, containing the two huge cameras on top of each other.

Next to these are the dual flashes and a small ring light similar to what vivo calls Aura Light. Yet, the realme counterpart only activates for notifications and gaming instead of for photography.

The unit I have been reviewing came in Velvet Green which is the more leathery variant. The Flowing Silver counterpart, meanwhile, feels like a continuation of the shiny pearl white back on previous numbered series offerings.

On paper, they have virtually the same display size, thickness, and weight as the 14 Pro, but it’s evidently thinner and lighter than the 14 Pro+.

And I personally felt this when wielding the phone on a daily basis. The side frames look thinner too, and adds a subtle wedge to improve grip and ergonomics.

If anything, the backside doesn’t feel slippery at all for this variant and you can absolutely just one-hand it at times without fear of accidental drops.

Lastly, the 15 Pro retains IP68 and IP69 water and dust resistance for extra protection.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

Sad to say, the realme 15 Pro 5G is a Swipe Left. It’s not a bad smartphone — but not a compelling one either.

The handset lacks that definitive punch for a mid-ranger in late 2025. There’s a disconnect between price and value proposition for the package it delivers.

Even with discounts on ecommerce platforms that will lower the asking price to about PhP 27,000, the unbalanced feature trade-offs still don’t feel justified.

You are paying premium for a mid-ranger. And you can get devices about PhP 5,000 less (or beyond).

From steady performance to acceptable cameras, to AI features and long battery life, the realme 15 Pro doesn’t stand out in a crowded market. That’s the real problem.

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realme 15 Pro 5G specs

• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 4, 4nm process, Octa-Core, up to 2.8 GHz
• OS: Android 15 with realme UI 6.0
• Memory: 12GB base RAM, up to 12GB expansion
• Internal storage: Up to 512GB
• Display: 6.8-inch 1.5K 144Hz AMOLED display with 10-bit color, HDR10+, 6,500 nits peak brightness
• Battery: 7000mAh silicon-carbon
• Charging: 80W wired
• Cameras: 50MP main (Sony IMX896 with OIS), 50MP ultra-wide angle, 50MP selfie
• IP68 and IP69