Review of a phablet, expensive, but very competent

20.03.2015

I am the only shoemaker in the world without boots, a smartphone reviewer without my smartphone. You watch your professional colleagues - they are always thinking about whether to buy another Samsung/iPhone or not.

It's easier for me. My SIM card is always in one of the test devices. Constantly moving from smartphone to smartphone, of course, takes a little time, but it allows you to compare devices with each other based on your own experience and keep track of the bumps you’ve got on your own forehead.

Today you read the news on a classic five-inch flagship, tomorrow you move to a four-inch and very slow baby, and a week later - to some strange phablet without Google Play. And so on ad infinitum. The eyes are already dazzled by the constant change in screen sizes and resolutions, hardware power, and battery capacity. But the experience, don’t even argue, is extremely educational and useful.

Interesting fact. Perhaps, for me, the most important parameter of any smartphone recently has been the screen diagonal. Not the power of the hardware (there is almost always enough), not the amount of memory (there is always little), not the battery capacity, not the quality of the camera and not the number of glitches. Oh, of course, they are all important too. But the diagonal... it's more important.

Nightmare. I recently realized with horror that I was uncomfortable at five inches. Moving from five to six inches is easy and painless - it’s like returning to your own cozy home. And the move from six to five is difficult. Everything seems small and uncomfortable - as if you are trying to fit into last year’s summer trousers in the spring and suddenly discover that they have significantly decreased in size over the winter.

So from the very beginning it was obvious to me that if Huawei didn’t screw up anywhere majorly, then I would have to like the Ascend Mate7. After all, it’s a “shovel”, and a fancy one at that.

I'm reporting. They didn't mess up.

Brief conclusion

Even the Haier W970, with all its budget, got 8 out of 10.

The most annoying exception is Alcatel POP S9, and even that one was not highly rated only because of obvious chronic defects and reluctance to be friends with memory cards.

Equipment

Only the smartphone itself came to me, so I personally am not familiar with its full package.

Judging by the description on the official website, everything is standard there. Headphones, Micro-USB cord, charger, papers. I suspect that there is also a nail clip for removing the trays in which the SIM card and memory card are placed.

Appearance

The smartphone is big, naturally. And quite heavy.

Metal, non-separable. Looks nice, weighty.

To understand the scale of the disaster. Here it is next to a 5" Lenovo P70 and a 2.3" ear:

And next to the modest volume of Pushkin:

If I'm not mistaken, it's almost the narrowest of all six-inch devices. The side frames are tiny, you can’t really squeeze it in, there’s simply nowhere to go. So it’s not a tablet, holding it in one hand is not a problem. But, of course, it is extremely difficult to work with it with the same hand in which you hold it.

Holding it is not a problem, the problem is what to wear. Doesn't fit in every pocket.

Colors. The "premium" version of the smartphone is golden. “Regular” devices are black (on both sides) or silver-white (white on the front, silver on the back).

Boring details about appearance with photographs

The front is traditionally glass. Most of it is occupied, as you might guess, by the screen.

Below the screen is the Huawei logo. Android buttons are on-screen, drawn as needed.

Above the screen there is a speaker, sensors, and a front camera. There is also an LED (though very weak).

On the back there is a camera, flash, fingerprint sensor, external speaker. Most of the back is metal, but there are plastic strips on the top and bottom.

The camera protrudes slightly, the fingerprint sensor, on the contrary, is slightly concave.

Top. 3.5 mm audio output and noise canceling microphone.

Bottom. Micro-USB and main microphone.

Right. Buttons. Volume rocker and power-lock button.

Left. Trays for SIM cards (Micro-SIM, 1 pc.) and memory cards (Micro-USB). How to take out the trays and place the cards - watch the unpacking video.

Internals (iron)

Huawei's own chip, called the Kirin 925, is somewhat similar to the Exynos 5422 that Samsung uses in its Samsung Galaxy S5. The same cores and the same quantity, the same video accelerator.

As usual, I suggest you admire the plate with the results of my tests for elementary actions. As is easy to see, everything is more than good. Kirin 925 is faster than Snapdragon 801, not to mention cheaper hardware.

Personal feelings confirm the test results: everything is more than good, fast, smooth and smooth.

It is possible to connect a Micro-SD memory card as the internal memory of a smartphone (i.e. it becomes /sdcard/), which can be useful for those who want to install a lot of heavy toys at the same time.

Personally, I didn’t have such a need, fortunately I already have 11 GB free.

Sensors Of the sensors, the only interesting one is the fingerprint one, which I have already mentioned. Everything else is standard. Gyroscope, accelerometer, compass. Lighting and proximity, naturally. There are no useful extras such as a pressure sensor or thermometer.

Communication with the outside world

Everything is there, everything works as it should. And LTE, and Wi-Fi and everything else. I didn't notice any problems.

iXBT in its review writes about the not very correct operation of MHL (the image is scaled and distorted). I didn't find this in myself. Everything was displayed clearly on my TV, as it should, and without distortion.

Screen

Nice screen. Classic high-quality IPS matrix, more than sufficient resolution, decent behavior in the sun, Gorilla Glass.

And there is nothing more to say about him.

Perhaps the oleophobic coating could be a little better. But I suspect it’s just a little worn out. Still, the smartphone is a test one and has clearly gone through many hands.

Operating system and other software

Operating system Android 4.4.2 KitKat plus proprietary shell Emotion UI 3.0.

Everything is quite ordinary, familiar and convenient. Traditionally, Huawei does not have a single list of applications, so you have to make at least minimal efforts to put order on your desktops.

There are not very many pre-installed third-party applications - Opera, VKontakte, ivi.ru, Polaris Office, Yandex search. Everything is quietly deleted except (surprise!) Opera.

A few words about the pedometer. There is such a pre-installed software there. More precisely, not even pre-installed, but “sewn” into the proprietary shell. You turn it on and the smartphone starts counting your steps. Convenient, funny, really liked it. The only thing is that it’s a pity that it doesn’t keep history, only for yesterday and today.

Battery

The average result of battery tests is 159% of the standard. Excellent result!

Just a year ago, smartphones with a 5.2″ diagonal seemed simply unrealistically large, but now the situation has changed. Even Google itself released the Nexus 6 with a diagonal corresponding to its number, pushing the line of “normal” a little further. Therefore, it is logical that manufacturers keep up with the trend and produce large devices in new ways. And today we will look at just such a smartphone, Huawei Mate 7.

The first thing that comes to mind when you pick up the Mate 7 is still “How huge it is.” Even if you have the smallest hands, a six-inch display is a lot. The device tries to slip out every now and then, although the texture of the surface is not conducive to this, it’s just a matter of dimensions. But let's talk about everything in order.

Equipment

The Mate 7 comes in a beautiful black box. Everyone is accustomed to the fact that most devices from Chinese vendors are not the most expensive, but in this case this is not the case. And this is confirmed not only by the price, but also by the quality of the packaging in particular. On the box, which is made of cardboard with a snakeskin texture, there is a large number 7, as if foreshadowing the packaging of the iPhone in a couple of years.

Everything looks solid inside. Everything is located in separate black boxes placed in their own slots. You get the feeling that you are holding in your hands a box from some not-so-cheap watch.

The package includes fairly standard pieces of paper with instructions and specifications that no one ever reads, but for some reason they are written down, a microUSB cable for charging, an adapter for a socket with an output current of 2A (which is very good) and included headphones. I don’t even want to talk about the latter; to be honest, it’s completely unclear why such things are still put in boxes.

In addition, the kit includes a metal clip that will help you remove the memory card and SIM card slots. The thing is useful, but its interesting feature is that it is quite thick, so it may not be possible to use it for other devices. Moral: keep the original paper clips from your devices.

Frame

From the other contents of the box, let's move on to the main thing - Huawei Mate 7. Its body is made of metal, which feels very pleasant in the hand. The assembly of the device is at the highest level. Everything is very rigid, nothing moves anywhere, does not creak, does not play, creating the feeling of a truly premium device. Actually, the price of the Mate 7 obliges us to do just that, and it would be strange if we could make any complaints about the build quality.

The control buttons are located on the right side. They, like the rest of the body, are metal, well-fitted and have a sufficient degree of clickability. Pressing them is quite convenient, however, thanks to some features that we will talk about later, you will not need to do this so often.

On the left side there are two card slots: one for a SIM card, the other for a microSD memory card. They pop up and slide in with a characteristic click, and when closed they form a solid surface with a side edge, so that when you run your finger along it, you will not get caught on them in any way. A definite plus.

At the top there is a 3.5 mm jack output into which you can insert headphones. I highly recommend doing this with a model different from the one you find in the box, otherwise you can pretty much ruin the whole impression. You can also see the microphone hole at the top.

On the bottom edge you can find a microUSB connector, which is a standard nowadays, including a legal one. By the way, there is also a microphone at the bottom.

The back surface is an almost solid aluminum surface with small pieces at the top and bottom. Higher up is a camera peephole with a flash, underneath which is a fingerprint scanner. Its location evokes associations with the HTC One Max, however, the entire design as a whole refers to it. The nice thing is that the scanner does not differ either in appearance or in tactile sensations from the surrounding texture, although it is slightly lowered and edged with a glossy frame.

Below you can see the Huawei logo and the speaker grille, which is the only one here and is located at the back.

The front panel is occupied by a gigantic display, on top of which there is a speaker grille, sensors and a front camera.

Display

The biggest and most noticeable part of the Mate 7 is definitely its display. It is made using IPS technology and stretches as much as 6″. The resolution today is a very conservative 1920 x 1080 pixels, in other words FullHD. The pixel density is approximately 368 ppi, and I’ll tell you honestly, this is quite enough.

Thanks to the peculiarities of the technology, the black color looks grayish, but otherwise the color rendition is at the same level. If you don’t like the color temperature, you can adjust it using the built-in software tools. Particularly picky users should like this option.

Otherwise, it is worth noting that the large display is really convenient for consuming content. Videos, toys, photographs - this is precisely why it is worth purchasing a device with such rather large dimensions.

Another point worth paying attention to is the oleophobic coating, which is quite good here. Whatever one may say, a large glass surface will one way or another collect a lot of fingerprints, so it is important to be able to remove them well and quickly. And, at least while the device is new, the Mate 7 has no problems with this.

Sound

If the display is ideal for consuming as much content as possible from a smartphone (phablet?), then in terms of sound everything is not so rosy. As already mentioned, there is only one speaker in the Mate 7, and it is located on the rear panel, i.e. The sound is directed away from the user. In this context, the Nexus 6 version looks more logical, when the chin and chin were slightly enlarged to accommodate stereo speakers that direct sound waves to the user. After all, with such dimensions, the slight increase in height is not as significant as in more compact models.

In this regard, you still have to hold your hand “boat” in order to better hear the words of the characters in the film or the roar of the engine during the game, and this is inconvenient. It’s good that there is enough volume reserve, and the sound quality is at the same level. Only, unfortunately, those around you will learn more about this, and not you yourself, since it will be directed specifically at them.

So, despite the fact that the sound is loud and quite high quality, the manufacturer is pushing you to still use headphones. The sound in them is unremarkable, everything is as it should be, but without a hint of a wow effect. By the way, you will definitely need to buy headphones separately if you don’t already have a pair, because the ones that come in the kit are very, very dull.

Fingerprint scanner

We should also highlight the fingerprint scanner, which is present in the Huawei Mate 7. It is located on the back surface of the device and can be quite conveniently reached with your index finger when you take the smartphone in your hand.

In order to activate fingerprint unlocking, you need to set a lock using a pin or password. A significant disadvantage is that when the smartphone is lying on a table or other surface with its back down, it is impossible to unlock it, unlike the iPhone, so you have to enter a secret combination. And given the size of the device, it should lie on the table quite often.

It’s not in vain that we remembered the iPhone, because the Mate 7 is in many ways reminiscent of it. In particular, the fingerprint recording animation is very, very similar. In terms of software, Huawei’s creation is generally very reminiscent of people from Cupertino, but we will return to this later. In the context of a fingerprint scanner, copying is not so shameful. In the Mate 7, everything works at least as well as in the iPhone, although they say that after the phone freezes outside, problems may arise. Well, keep your smartphones closer to your body.

Camera

Huawei Mate 7 has a 13 MP main camera and a 5 MP front camera. They both take decent photographs. For me, as a person who is not very keen on mobile photography, the cameras offered are quite enough. However, aesthetes and connoisseurs of high art can find something to complain about and make a choice in favor of or (Plus).

However, Sasha gave the camera high marks; in his opinion, it finally easily competes with the strongest among smartphones.

We should probably mention the camera interface. One has only to look at it to understand what the creators were inspired by. However, this topic will come up again in our review, but here, as they say, everything is obvious. Apple in all its glory, don't you think?

Photo examples

Specifications

• Dimensions: 157 x 81 x 7.9 mm.
• Weight: 185 g.
• Operating system: Android 4.4 KitKat + EmotionUI 3.0.
• Processor: eight-core, HiSilicon Kirin 925, 4 x 1.8 GHz Cortex A15 + 4 x 1.3 GHz Cortex A7.
• Graphics: Mali-T628.
• Display: IPS, 6″, 1920 x 1080, 368 ppi.
• Memory: 16 GB flash + 2 GB RAM or 32 GB + 3 GB RAM, expandable with MicroSD cards (up to 128 GB).
• Camera: 13 MP, front 5 MP.
• Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, MicroUSB.
• Battery: Li-Po battery 4100 mAh.

Software

Huawei Mate 7 has Android version 4.4 KitKat installed, which has not been the latest for quite some time. But as a result of the manipulations of Chinese programmers, who rolled their own shell called EmotionUI version 3.0 on top of all this, the result was a kind of mixture of iOS and Lollipop. Moreover, all that remains from the latter are new on-screen buttons, which are geometric shapes, and not understandable icons. Their convenience is questionable, but fashion is fashion.

Otherwise, EmotionUI 3.0 is very similar to iOS. There is also no application menu, and everything is stacked on desktops. You need to organize icons into folders, which here open in full screen and display no more than nine applications at a time. On such a big screen, the move is not the most logical, but since Johnny-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named came up with it, then so be it.

In addition, Huawei decided that it was possible to give the user the ability to change themes, but the icons should still be enclosed in a square with rounded corners. And it doesn’t matter that developers often think differently, we’ll just blurt out their creations on some background. Often this does not look the best, but here, apparently, they were guided by the same principle as in the case of folders.

Copying You-Know-Which OS doesn't end there. So, swiping down brings up a search, which is very reminiscent of Spotlight. You can also search for applications on your smartphone or information on the Internet. Well, the background is also blurry. In general, no one is hiding anything.

The notification curtain has also changed. The bright white background displays events as they occur, and in the adjacent curtain there are icons, of which there are many, but some of them are very interesting. Although, for example, why there is a need for a “reboot”, which can be accidentally touched, is not entirely clear.

The multitasking window is implemented in the form of a 2 by 2 grid, which can be closed by swiping up on the corresponding application. At the same time, you can close all applications at once with one swipe from the bottom edge.

Special abilities

Considering that the smartphone has an impressive size, it is logical that it was equipped with special features, in particular for ease of operation with one hand. Thus, controls such as on-screen buttons or dialing buttons can be moved to one side, which makes it a little easier to manipulate one limb, but not to say that doing this becomes absolutely convenient. I still can’t recommend the device, and it needs to be taken out of your pocket on the go.

In addition to moving the buttons, you can also turn on a special floating thing, tapping on which opens a menu of nailed buttons, locking the screen and clearing RAM. You can move it along the edges of the screen, and in fact using this function turned out to be quite convenient.

But the Chinese were not at all going to stop at copying only iOS. After all, there is still such a wonderful OS as Windows Phone, which is not enough to reach the full combo. Something similar to it can be observed in “simplified mode”. So if you decide to give a six-inch monster to your grandmother (although it is not clear why), then she will be comfortable clicking on the large icons and reading the large letters.

Performance

The heart of Huawei Mate 7 is the HiSilicon Kirin 925 chip, built using “biglittle” technology, i.e. four cores for more productive tasks and four energy-efficient ones. In general, they are enough for both smooth operation of the interface and demanding toys. To be honest, you can’t make any claims against him. Although it may be that with longer use it will be possible to catch some bugs related to the optimization of applications for a not so common chip.

If this is still important for some, then in Antutu Mate 7 scores about 43k points, which is a very decent result, although far from top-end. But we know that it actually means quite a bit.

Autonomy

Battery life is where the Mate 7 shines. Thanks to the combination of a not very voracious processor, a screen with a FullHD resolution that is reasonable for its diagonal, as well as a very impressive 4100 mAh battery, the device lives for a really long time. It should easily last you two days of moderate work, but even if you want to hack some powerful toys, you can be sure that it will last you until the evening and you won’t have to look for an outlet.

But with great capacity comes great responsibility—long charging times. Even taking into account the fact that the box with the device comes with a power supply with an output current of 2A, which is quite a lot by smartphone standards, it takes a long time to charge the Mate 7, which may not be the most convenient circumstance if you need to recharge, and you, for example, you are late.

In any case, a large battery is good, even despite the huge screen that needs to be backlit and the color of each pixel calculated many times per second. So once again I would like to note the developers for the resolution of “only” 1920 x 1080. With the current development of battery technology, more is not needed.

Impressions of use

Perhaps the main question that I asked myself, and, probably, you ask me while reading this review, is how realistic is it to use such a large device? Let me try to answer it.

Even after spending quite some time getting used to the 5.2″ Moto X (2014), the Mate 7 still feels huge. It's virtually impossible to operate it with one hand, even with all the software aids. And this immediately imposes a number of restrictions. For example, I quite often have to talk on the phone, which often means that I need to constantly take my smartphone out of my pocket. And you have to do this even on the go, which in the case of such a giant is fraught with falls, chips of the case and webs of cracks across the screen. Not the most pleasant thing that can happen, I tell you.

With my usual grip, I could reach with my thumb just above the middle of the display. And since Huawei for some reason forgot to copy from Apple the function in which the display goes down (although so much was copied that it’s unclear why not), in order to reach the upper elements of the interface, you need to change your grip.

And although the metal of the case provides a very pleasant tactile sensation, and the build quality is pleasing, it is still virtually impossible to hold the smartphone with one hand. Nevertheless, it is more intended precisely to hold one and use the other. But this does not mean that there is any negativity in my words.

Phablets like the Mate 7 definitely have a right to life. These are just not the devices we are used to. Nobody criticizes the iPad Air 2 because it is inconvenient to hold with one hand. Of course, I am exaggerating, but I think the meaning is clear. Phablets are phablets. If you like, more bedside and desktop smartphones than convenient dialers that can access the Internet. And if you need to talk on it on the go, buy a headset and live happily. Otherwise, use both hands.

Of course, all this may no longer be so relevant in a few years. A striking example is the photograph below. I remember now what an incredible shovel, unusable, the HTC HD2 seemed to me. And now you can see for yourself where it is in the size range. So it is quite possible that in a few years we will remember the Huawei Mate 7 as a miniature device that was convenient to use. But this, firstly, is unlikely, and, secondly, it will only happen in the future, so when it comes, then we’ll talk.

conclusions

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is a very good smartphone, if you can still call it that. Build quality, display, fingerprint scanner - all this is done at the highest level and evokes only positive emotions. In addition, it overcomes with dignity the main problem of modern mobile devices, namely the life time on a single charge. At the same time, as you might guess, its main advantage and disadvantage is the diagonal of this very display. Today, 6″ is still very, very large, but if you are sure that these sizes will suit you, you can safely go and buy.

Prices start at $550 for the version with 16 GB of internal memory and 2 GB of RAM and end at around $650 for 32 GB + 3 GB. At this price tag, the Mate 7 is a very good choice.

For whom such a smartphone may be ideal are iOS lovers, for whom for some reason the iPhone 6 Plus display seems small, and the iPad Mini is not satisfied with the fact that it cannot make calls. The craftsmen from Huawei not only largely followed the precepts of Johnny-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but even introduced an option in a gold-colored case. And compared to the “plus”, you will also be able to save a little. By the way, there is also a 128 GB version on sale (only in gold color), so in terms of memory you can fully compensate for the lack of apples in your blood, if one suddenly appears. There's also a lot more RAM here.

As a result, we have a very ambiguous device. On the one hand, it performed very well in a number of aspects; it can be safely recommended for purchase even taking into account the rather inflated price tag. But on the other hand, such large sizes are not suitable for everyone, and the Huawei brand (especially in countries where Russian is spoken) has not yet established itself enough for the masses to be willing to shell out “flagship” money for it. All this makes the Mate 7 a great device, but also a very niche one.

• Class: smartphone
• Case materials: glass and metal
• Operating system: Google Android 4.4.2
• Processor: 4 cores + 4 cores, HiSilicon Kirin 925
• RAM: 2 GB
• Data storage memory: 16 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, 3.5 mm headset
• Screen: capacitive, IPS 6" with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels
• Camera: 13 MP (main), 5 MP (front)
• Additionally: accelerometer, light and proximity sensors
• Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer (Li-Pol) capacity 4100 mAh
• Dimensions: 157x81x7.9 mm
• Weight: 185 g

Contents of delivery

The smartphone comes in a small black cardboard box. On its front side, “ASCEND MATE” is written in golden color and below is the company logo of the same color.

Having opened the package, you will find on top an envelope with documentation and a special metal clip for removing the slot for installing a SIM card. The following things are packed in a separate box: a network adapter with an output current of 2A, a USB cable and a headset. All of them are made in white.

A technical film without inscriptions is glued to the smartphone screen, so you can safely use it as a protective film.

Introduction

We got acquainted with the device even before Honor 6 and Mate 7 were presented at IFA 2014. The first impression was mixed, apparently because we were expecting something more and original from the exhibition, at least I personally did. After the “ifa”, it turned out that products from Huawei, in general, look quite up to par, since other manufacturers demonstrated devices that differed little from the previous generation of their lines. Although devices from Huawei do not have outstanding technical characteristics or other significant features - these are simply high-quality gadgets, brought to mind.

Today we will talk about the flagship device Huawei Ascend Mate 7. What is so remarkable about this model? As already mentioned, Huawei tried to take into account all the wishes of consumers: you wanted a thin metal case - get it and sign for it; powerful processor – please; a cool camera - no question, a fingerprint scanner - too! Some potential buyers were expecting a high QHD resolution in the Mate 7, but, alas, there is only FullHD here. However, I believe that QHD resolution on a screen up to 6 inches is more of a marketing ploy: it is almost impossible to distinguish between FullHD and QHD displays; the quality of the matrix is ​​more important. The only unclear point is the amount of RAM. The expensive Ascend Mate 7 has 2 GB, and the more affordable “sixth” Honor has 3.

At the time of writing, unfortunately, the exact start date of sales and, most importantly, the price are unknown. Most likely, Mate 7 will hit store shelves in mid-November, and the price will be 25,000 - 27,000 rubles, I think it all depends on the dollar exchange rate. Eldar Murtazin, in a tweet dated 17.10, wrote: “... if you were waiting for some equipment, but money is too tight, then go and buy it on the weekend. Then it will be more expensive."

Design, dimensions, control elements

I wouldn't want to be a bore and say that the Mate 7 is copied from the HTC One Max. Even if this is so, then this fact is only to the benefit of Huawei, and will not harm HTC. Dimensions Ascend – 157x81x7.9 mm, weight – 185 grams; Dimensions of HTC One Mac – 164.5x82.5x10.3 mm, weight – 217 grams. Huawei is shorter, thinner, narrower and lighter. In any case, the Chinese company tried to make it better and prettier.

The device will be available in three colors: white, black and gold. I liked the device in a gold-colored case simply because it looks very unusual against the background of similar dark or light smartphones. We reviewed the Mate 7 in light. The backing of the front panel is white, I would say milky. The thin edging around the perimeter of the matrix is ​​black, almost blending into the background of the display. The frames on the right and left are only 2.9 mm. On a black gadget they are completely invisible, it seems that this is a smartphone that has no screen frames. Interestingly, the ratio of screen area to front surface area is 83%.

Despite the fact that I prefer smaller smartphones, Huawei fits perfectly in the hand, it is easy to use, and you do not feel discomfort due to its large size. In some situations, you still have to shift the gadget in your palm in order to reach the desired element in the interface. From the point of view of ergonomic design, everything here is at the highest level!

The display is protected by durable Corning Gorilla Glass 3. After several weeks of active use of the device, not a single scratch or scuff was left on the glass. The surface is covered with an oleophobic layer, since fingerprints, although they remain, are very easily and quickly removed. The finger glides across the display smoothly, without jerking.

The edging on the device is made of white glossy plastic. It forms a small edge, thereby protecting the screen surface from external influences, for example, when the Mate 7 is placed face down.

The side edges and almost the entire back panel are made of light-colored metal. There are two decorative chamfers on the edges. They play beautifully when hit by light. We saw something similar in the iPhone 5 and 5S. During quite a long period of use of the Ascend, the back surface remained without damage, although I carried it in my pocket along with the iPhone 5, on which the “iron” Draco bumper was put on.

Naturally, it is extremely difficult to make a solid metal case; in any case, the signal needs to exit the device. That's why the Mate 7 has two plastic inserts, painted in the same color as the body. They are on the reverse side, top and bottom. The width of each is only 8 mm.

I was pleased with the assembly of the gadget: when you squeeze it in your hand, there is no creaking or crunching, there is no play in the plastic inserts, buttons and slots for SIM and memory cards.

At the top center is a speech speaker covered with a small silver metal mesh. The volume is high, on the street or in the subway you can hear your interlocutor without problems. Mostly mid frequencies are heard, but there are also low and high frequencies. The timbre is pleasant. You are heard clearly and intelligibly.

To the left of the speaker are light and proximity sensors, and a front camera. There are no touch buttons under the display; they are on-screen.

At the bottom there is a microphone and microUSB. Perfectionists will cry, because for some reason the “microUSB” is shifted to the left relative to the central axis by several millimeters. At the top is a second microphone and a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones or a headset.

The volume rocker key and power button are on the right. They are made of metal, the surface is ribbed. Their stroke is minimal, the pressure is soft. Placing the lock button in the right center is the right decision and is convenient to use.

At the top left are two metal slides: the one above is for a micro SIM card, and the one below is for a memory card. Typically, gadgets of this class do not have microSD slots.

On the back of the device: a large camera eye protruding a millimeter above the body, a flash and a hole where the speakerphone is located. Huawei Mate 7 also has a fingerprint sensor (square, slightly recessed, with smoothed edges). Of course, they are unlikely to surprise anyone these days, but it’s a nice little thing. Unlike, for example, the sensor in Samsung, where you need to swipe your finger across the screen and then on a button (which, frankly, works poorly), in the Mate 7 you just need to put your finger on it. And it doesn’t matter how: the scanner recognizes the fingerprint in any position of the device or finger. The function works faster than standard screen unlocking.

Comparative sizes:

Huawei and Apple iPhone 5

Huawei and Nexus 5

Huawei and Huawei M1 tablet

Display

Huawei decided not to waste time on trifles, so the Ascend Mate 7 uses a screen with a diagonal of 6 inches. Physical size – 74x132 mm. I already talked about the minimal frames around the perimeter of the display - it looks awesome! The frame is 10 mm on top, 14 mm on the bottom. There is an anti-reflective coating that does a good job of filtering sunlight and other bright objects reflected by the screen.

Contrary to expectations, this model has FullHD resolution, not QuadHD. I don’t see the difference, especially on a screen of 6 inches or less. I compared it with the LG G3 and Samsung Galaxy Note 4. It’s not the resolution that plays a role here, but the quality of the matrix. The Mate 7 has an IPS matrix from Japan Display Inc.

I was pleased with the quality of the screen: pure white, pleasant saturated colors, high brightness (information can be read without problems even in bright sunlight). Below I compared two matrices - in ZTE Nubia 7 MAX and LG G3.

ZTE Nubia 7 MAX and Huawei Ascend Mate 7

In this case, there is no big difference; ZTE slightly cheats with the white balance, slightly increasing the red color. The brightness is slightly higher on Huawei.

LG G3 and Huawei Ascend Mate 7

It would seem that LG should put Huawei on its back, but no. The G3 matrix greatly shifts the picture into warm shades. On slopes the difference is even more obvious. Brightness is higher again on Huawei Mate 7.

Traditionally, in the Huawei settings there is a “Color Temperature” item. I don’t recommend touching it, you’ll only make it worse.

Brightness is set either manually or automatically. The range of regulation is wide. At night you can read a book without eye strain.

The capacitive touch layer supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. The sensitivity is excellent. In the “Control” section there is even a “Work with gloves” mode.

For those who are not used to reaching the right places on the screen with a large diagonal, the developers have created the “One-Hand Control” function. True, this only applies to controls, the dialer and some other things.

Here are a few more original features:

Black color

Battery

The device has a non-removable lithium polymer (Li-Pol) battery with a capacity of 4100 mAh. Well done Huawei for fitting such a capacious battery into such a thin body.

Those who often change smartphones to Android or simply test gadgets on this operating system know that the operating time of these devices is usually approximately the same, regardless of battery capacity. Of course, if the device is not equipped with a 4100 mAh battery. Therefore, Mate 7 “lives” for 27-35 hours according to the following scheme: 30-40 minutes of calls, about 7 hours of 4G (background updating of mail, Twitter, etc.), 3-4 hours of active connection on a Wi-Fi network (views sites, reading Twitter, email, etc.), about two to three hours of photography.

Fans of watching videos can count on 9-10 hours: maximum brightness, maximum volume on headphones. On toys, drain the battery in about four hours. In book reading mode, the device will last no more than 20 hours.

There is a section “Energy Saving”. It's easy to switch between Energy Saving, Smart and Normal modes. When you activate the first one, only the necessary functions will be displayed on the phone screen: calls, messages, contacts and time. In this mode, the device operates for about 40 hours.

Communication capabilities

In this section, in order not to inflate the review, it is worth describing the most important thing: Mate 7 works with LTE CAT 6 networks, it has Wi-Fi b/g/n (dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot ), Bluetooth version 4.0 (A2DP, EDR, LE), NFC chip.

It is easy to connect Flash devices to USB (OTG mode).

Huawei has GPS and GLONASS. It functions stably, the speed is very high: even near the window up to 10 satellites are “visible”.

Memory, memory card

Inside the Ascend Mate there is 2 GB of RAM. The funny thing is that the more affordable Huawei Honor 6 (costs 17,000 rubles) is equipped with three gigabytes. Even the company’s representative office cannot answer why such a conflict occurred. It seems to me that this was done in order to distinguish Honor 6 from the general mass of devices with FullHD screens, since up to 20,000 rubles, such gadgets almost all have the same parameters and 2 GB of RAM.

We had a sample with 16 GB of Flash memory. About 12 GB free. However, there is no need to worry, since there is a slot for a microSD memory card. The maximum volume is 64 GB.

Camera

Lately, I've only been interested in cameras in flagship devices. Why? Everything is very simple: in 99% of cases, the hardware in such devices is so cool that it can handle anything, plenty of memory, screens for every taste. The cameras are also about the same, but the difference comes when you shoot not on a bright sunny day, but, say, in cloudy weather, in the evening, at night or indoors with artificial lighting. It is in such conditions that you have to choose a smartphone in terms of shooting quality.

Huawei Mate 7 has two modules: the main one is 13 MP, the front one is 5 MP. The second is wide-angle, for the best “selfies”.

The main camera lens is equipped with an F2.0 aperture, while the front camera has an F2.4 aperture. The minimum ISO value is 50, the maximum is 3200. The maximum shutter speed is 1/16, the minimum is 1/25000.

The picture quality is quite good; during the day, as I said, all cameras shoot approximately the same. The Mate 7 handles well indoors thanks to its open notch. At night, Huawei “paints” a slightly darker picture than its direct competitors, including Honor 6, but there is noticeably less noise. Focus is always accurate and fast, white balance does not raise any questions. The bokeh, as you understand, at F2.0 is beautiful, pleasantly blurs the background.

The device shoots video in a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. The quality is average, the picture is soapy, the sharpness is weak, the exposure is very rough. The sound is clear, stereo. There is an HDR video mode, but only at 720p.

The front camera takes wide-angle shots. Records video in 1080p resolution at 15 fps.

P.S. When we were at the Huawei office, we were told that the Mate 7 has optical stabilization, but only now it turned out that it is not there. Therefore, part of the section about the camera had to be shortened.

Interface

Bottom left to right: entrance to the gallery (previously there were thumbnails displayed there, now only an icon, inconvenient), creating a frame, effects. Swipe left or right to switch: focus (the camera takes several frames with different focus, then you can select the point of focus), photos and videos. At the top is the flash, switching to the front camera and back, menu.

Menu

When you click on the icon, you get to the “quick” menu: decorations, panorama, HDR, audio note, successful photos, watermark.

Advanced settings:

You can select Fingerprint. In this case, it’s easy to do “self-care” by touching the sensor on the back side.

By holding your finger on the screen for a long time while taking a photo, you activate the selection of the exposure point.

In the video settings, electronic stabilization is enabled or disabled. You will see the rest in the screenshots.

EXIF information from a photo file

Characteristics of the video file recorded on the main camera:

• Format: MP4
• Video: AVC, 22 Mbit/s
• Resolution: 1920x1080, 30 fps
• Audio: AAC, 96 Kbps
• Channels: 2 channels, 48 ​​KHz

Examples of photos taken with the main camera:

In room:

In the dark:

Example photo with front camera:

Performance

The smartphone from Huawei is traditionally built on its own HiSilicon Kirin 925 chipset: big.LITTLE architecture, 4 ARM Cortex-A15 cores (1.8 GHz) plus another 4 ARM Cortex-A7 cores (1.3 GHz), for processing sensors and sensors For fingerprints there is a separate Smartl3 chip. To work with graphics, the Mali-T628 MP4 accelerator is used: 6 GPU cores with a frequency of 600 MHz, support for OpenGL ES 3.0, Open VG 1.1, OpenCL 1.1, DirectX 11, 4xFSAA, 16xFSAA, second generation Midgard architecture.

I think you understand that with such hardware the device does not slow down at all. There were no friezes of the shell, no glitches or crashes from the system. All games that were tested on Huawei Ascend Mate 7 ran without problems (Real Racing 3, Modern Combat 5, GTA SA, Dead Trigger 2, and so on).

Below you can see screenshots from different games:

Brief information and performance tests.

A stylish and productive new product for 2014 is the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 phablet. Its hardware allows you to easily solve any, including the most complex, tasks. It is about this, as well as about the reviews of real owners of this gadget, that will be discussed in the future.

Phablet niche

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is the flagship solution of this manufacturer released in 2014. Its hardware and software components are still relevant today and allow you to solve all problems without exception. But now, a year and a half after its sales began, more expensive and at the same time more productive smartphones have appeared. Accordingly, this phablet would be more fairly classified in the middle price range. Its price and capabilities once again confirm this. But at the same time, it has everything that modern flagship devices are equipped with. Therefore, this gadget can be an excellent solution for those who want to get an excellent smartphone at a relatively low cost. This solution is primarily aimed at them.

Gadget equipment

This device cannot boast of anything remarkable in terms of configuration. Everything is standard:

• The smart phone itself has a built-in battery.
• Charger with 2 A output.
• Branded interface cord.
• A modest wired speaker system with a microphone. Lovers of high-quality sound and music lovers will certainly not like it and will have to think about buying a higher-quality speaker system.
• User guide. It also contains a warranty card.
• A special clip for removing SIM card slots and external storage.

Most of the body of this gadget is made of metal. The front panel is protected by “Gorilla Eye” glass of the 3rd revision in Huawei Ascend Mate 7. It is most likely not advisable to buy a case for a device with a similar degree of protection. In addition, a special protective film is initially already glued to the screen area, so there is no need to purchase it additionally. In general, the only accessories you can think about are purchasing an external drive. Its capacity in this case can reach 64 GB.

Appearance and location of controls and communication ports

This phablet has quite impressive overall dimensions. Its length is 157 mm, width - 81 mm and thickness 7.9 mm. It will be difficult for the average person to control this device with only the fingers of one hand. But this is true for all phablets without exception. But its weight is only 185 grams, and this is very little for such a large device. This smartphone has three color options for the case: black, silver and gold (all of this is very similar to the iPhone 6). The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Black variant is the most practical solution. Fingerprints, dust and dirt are not so noticeable on it. But at the same time, the device no longer looks so elegant and premium. The silver body will appeal more to the weaker half of humanity. There is something feminine and graceful about it. Well, Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Gold will allow you to emphasize the special status of its owner.

83% of the front panel is occupied by a touch display, under which is the manufacturer’s logo. There is no special control panel at the bottom of the gadget. For these purposes, the lower part of the screen is used, where this panel is displayed. Above the screen there is a speaker, a front camera “window” and several sensors. Mechanical ones (volume controls and locks) are grouped on the right side of the device. To ensure that the user does not confuse them under any circumstances, the surface of the lock button is made loose, and the volume swing is smooth. On the bottom edge of the gadget there is a micro-USB port and a miniature hole for a spoken microphone. At the top there is a microphone hole to suppress noise during a conversation and a 3.5 mm audio port. On the left side of the smartphone there are two hidden slots. To remove special plastic inserts from them for installing a SIM card or external flash drive, you will have to use a special clip that comes with the phablet. One slot is designed for installing a regular format SIM card. But the second one can be used to increase the amount of memory in the device or to install a second SIM card of a smaller format. On the back cover there is a peephole for the main camera, its single LED backlight, and the main speaker. Well, the manufacturer did not forget to place its logo here along with the fingerprint sensor.

CPU

It is the high performance and phenomenal energy efficiency of the central processor that is one of the key advantages of Huawei Ascend Mate 7. Premium - devices from other manufacturers with similar characteristics cannot boast of a similar combination. The device is based on the Kirin 925 computing platform, developed by Huawei subsidiary Hisilicon. According to the documentation, this chip includes 8 real computing cores that operate according to the big.LITTLE scheme. That is, at maximum and average load on the device, 4 computing modules based on the Cortex-A7 architecture are in operation. They are capable of accelerating at maximum load to 1.3 GHz. Their main advantage is high energy efficiency. It should also be noted that if 2 out of 4 cores are enough to solve the task, then the remaining 2 are simply turned off. Don’t forget that if there is an excess of computing power, the frequency of each active module is automatically reduced. As a result, we get a very energy-efficient system that adapts to the needs of the task at hand. When the computing resources of the first computing module of four cores are insufficient, it is turned off, and the second computing cluster automatically comes into operation. It also consists of 4 cores. But only in this case we are talking about the Cortex-A15 architecture. It delivers uncompromising levels of performance. Each of them can reach 1.8 GHz. Again, the frequency of computing modules in this case varies dynamically depending on the degree of complexity of the problem being solved. In exactly the same way as in the previous case, kernels that are not involved in work are deactivated. This allows you to run almost any task on this smartphone. The only exception is 64-bit applications, of which there are not so many now. It’s just that this chip is built on the basis of two 32-bit architectures - such software will definitely not be “too tough” for it. Everything mentioned above makes Huawei Ascend Mate 7 very similar to two flagship solutions from Samsung: S4 and S5. But this Chinese manufacturer went further and equipped this chip with another educational computing module, which was codenamed “i3”. Its clock frequency is only 230 MHz. He is responsible for maintaining sensors and sensors. This design solution allows you to significantly relieve the main computing resources of the smartphone and thereby further increase its performance and energy efficiency. No other manufacturer of mobile gadgets, including Apple or Samsung, can boast of such hardware optimization. Finally, it should be noted that this semiconductor crystal is manufactured in accordance with the standards of the 28-nm technological process.

Graphics accelerator

The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 smartphone is equipped with a very powerful Mali-T624MP4 graphics accelerator. This is a four-module video card that operates at 600 MHz. It cannot boast of great flexibility in terms of energy efficiency, like the processor itself in this device. On the other hand, you need to understand that this graphics accelerator must display the image on a 6-inch display, and even in HD quality. A perfectly installed video card copes with this task.

Display

A very high-quality display is used in Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Premium. An overview of its technical parameters is impressive even now, although quite a lot of time has passed since the start of sales. So, the parameters of this screen are as follows:

• The resolution is 1920x1080. That is, the image, as noted earlier, is displayed in “Full HD” quality. Let's add to this a pixel density of 368ppi and we get that a single point with such characteristics cannot be distinguished by the ordinary naked eye.
• The screen matrix is ​​made using IPS technology. Added to this is the absence of an air gap between the touch panel and the matrix. The result is impeccable picture quality.
• To protect the display from possible damage, the front panel of the phablet is covered with protective glass “Gorilla Eye” of the 3rd revision. A special layer is also applied on top of it, which prevents fingerprints from appearing on the screen.
• The device also has a feature that can be used to automatically adjust the brightness of the display.

Sound

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 boasts high sound quality. The main nuance here is the presence of an additional Tensilica HiFi3 module, which is integrated directly into the central processor crystal. It processes the audio signal coming to both the earpiece and the main speaker. Also involved in processing the signal output to the 3.5 mm audio port. Therefore, the sound of this mobile gadget is much better than that of other competitors. But for this you also need an appropriate acoustic system. A complete stereo headset is certainly not like that, and lovers of high-quality sound will have to immediately think about buying a higher-quality accessory of this class.

Cameras

Another strong point of this device is the 13 MP main camera. It is based on the IMX214 sensor element produced by Sony Corporation. Of course, the developers did not forget to equip it with an autofocus system and an LED backlight system (in the dark it is simply irreplaceable). The photo quality is really excellent on this device and there are no complaints. The only significant drawback is that the camera eye itself protrudes against the background of the back cover of Huawei Ascend Mate 7. A case may not be superfluous for this device. With its help, you can avoid possible damage to the main camera eye. There is no separate button for controlling the camera in this gadget. But the opportunity to quickly capture an important moment still exists. To do this, you need to quickly press the volume down button of the device twice. As a result, the necessary application will launch and you can start taking photographs. There is also the ability to record video in Full HD format with an image refresh rate of 30 frames/sec. The front camera has a more modest sensor - 5 megapixels. But this is quite enough for its typical tasks: selfies and video calls. To process the received images, an additional coprocessor IMAGESmart Engine version 2.0 is used. It allows you to get a higher quality picture, and at the same time the resources of the central processor are practically not used. Another important point in optimizing this phablet.

Memory

Several versions of this gadget are on sale. The most modest of them is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Some of them (1 GB of RAM and about 4 GB of built-in storage) will be occupied by pre-installed software. There is also a more advanced version of Huawei Ascend Mate 7 - 32Gb, it has an integrated storage capacity, and it will have 3GB of RAM. Determining which version of the gadget you have in your hands is quite simple - by price: the advanced version of the flagship solution costs 1.5 times more. The single-SIM version of the phone does not have the option of installing an additional external storage device. But the dual-SIM version of the device allows you to do this. But at the same time, it is necessary to understand that the second slot will have to be sacrificed - because of this, the device will cease to be a dual-SIM device. The maximum capacity of the external drive in this case is 64 GB. But even the capacity of the integrated storage in the most economical version of the smartphone is quite enough for comfortable work. But to avoid losing the most important data in the event of a device failure or breakdown, you need to use cloud services and periodically save the most important information on them.

Gadget battery and autonomy

The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 smartphone is equipped with a built-in 4100 mAh battery. In reality, one charge is enough for 1-2 days of battery life. Taking into account the display diagonal, the size of the device and the processing power of the central processor, this is an excellent indicator. If you use the maximum saving mode (it only allows you to make calls and send and receive SMS), you can count on 3 days. It’s certainly not possible to achieve anything more with such technical parameters and such battery capacity.

Interfaces

All main methods of transmitting information are supported by Huawei Ascend Mate 7. Its characteristics in this regard are as follows:

• Full support for all currently existing cellular networks is fully implemented in Huawei Ascend Mate 7. LTE, GSM and 3G - you will not have problems working in any of them.
• Wi-Fi is the main tool for transmitting data to the global web. You can also use it to download files of any size to your device.
• To exchange a small amount of information with similar “smart” phones, it would be best to use Bluetooth.
• This device can work with two ZhPS navigation systems at once and, of course, GLONASS.
• To connect using an interface cable to external devices, it is most rational to use a micro-USB port. It also charges the battery.
• Another wired interface is designed to output an audio signal to external speakers - a 3.5 mm audio port.

Additional protection

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is equipped with additional security features. A review of its back cover indicates the presence of a fingerprint sensor. It is with its help that additional protection of the device is implemented. Now, in order to unlock your phone and gain access to personal data, you will have to confirm your personal presence using this procedure. This puts this device on a par with last year’s smartphone from Apple, the iPhone 6. Moreover, the operating algorithm of this sensor is an order of magnitude better than that of the flagship solution from the Apple company. And this is another serious plus of this phablet.

Sensor set

The Huawei Ascend Mate 7 boasts an impressive array of sensors. A review of the technical specifications indicates the presence of an electronic compass. With its help and with the appropriate software, turning this device into a regular compass will not be difficult. There is also a light sensor (it allows you to automatically adjust the brightness of the display) and distance detection (it automatically locks the screen during a call). This phablet also has a gyroscope and an accelerometer.

Device software

Initially, this device has a version of Android installed with serial number 4.4. When you connect your Huawei Ascend Mate 7 to the Internet for the first time, the system software will update automatically. Currently version 5.1 is available. The manufacturer's official plans also include a transition to an even more recent version of the operating system - 6.0. But specific dates have not yet been announced. When this will happen is not entirely clear. In general, a powerful hardware platform allows you to install the latest versions of the operating system on this gadget and there will certainly be no problems. The proprietary Huawei Emotion UI shell is installed on top of the OS. Version 3.0 will be available from the box. But after installing the updates, its version will also change. The set of other software is quite solid and allows you to start using the device right out of the box.

Tests

Of course, now the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 has far from the flagship level of performance. Premium - the latest generation devices - are built on the basis of more powerful chips, and last year’s flagship is already difficult to compete with them. Therefore, one should not expect a fantastic number of scores in various test packages. But we can safely note one important nuance: the performance of this phablet is quite enough for comfortable playing Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8 or GTA 3. Moreover, you can run them even at maximum settings. Therefore, the level of performance of this gadget can be confidently called excessive. And the detailed situation will certainly continue over the next two years.

The cost of the phablet today

Like any other flagship device, Huawei Ascend Mate 7 cannot be cheap. The price for its more modest version starts at $400. Moreover, this is true for the black and silver versions of the case. If you want to purchase a stylish gold gadget, you will have to increase the indicated amount by $50. The more advanced version of Huawei Ascend Mate 7 costs even more. The price for silver and black smartphones starts at $480. Well, a gold device with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of integrated storage is priced by online stores at $520.

Owners' opinions about the smartphone

In reality, the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 gadget does not have any significant shortcomings. Reviews only confirm this. Some people complain about its rather large size. On the other hand, they knew its dimensions before purchasing and after that they complain about the inconvenience of working with one hand on it. And if such a drawback is already voiced, then everything suggests that this Chinese manufacturer really turned out to be an excellent phablet. But the advantages of the Huawei Ascend Mate 7 are many times greater. Reviews indicate the following:

• Impeccable build quality of the case. At the same time, its level of protection does not raise any complaints.
• A CPU that combines energy efficiency and performance.
• Large and high quality display.
• High degree of autonomy for a device of this size.
• Excellent cameras that allow you to take high-quality pictures and record videos in Full HD format.
• Constant updating of the device software.

Let's sum it up

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 is an excellent solution for those who want to get a relatively inexpensive, yet functional and reliable smartphone. Of course, its price of $400 is quite high today. But, on the other hand, you get a smartphone that will be relevant for many years. And the manufacturer himself will regularly “pump it up” with software updates.

I remember the time when the first Galaxy Note with a display of just over 5 inches was called a mini-tablet by many, then it really seemed like a real “shovel” from some completely different “opera”. Much water has passed under the bridge since then, and now the trend is for devices with much larger screens—up to 6 inches. One of the flagships in this segment is Huawei Mate 7, demonstrating what a truly convenient phablet should be.

Design and ergonomics

Top Huawei smartphones have never been particularly sophisticated in design. Many people believe that almost every new product from the company is recreated on the basis of an already known device, and the Mate 7 is no exception. Even before the official announcement, the device was dubbed a clone of the HTC One Max, but now, after getting acquainted with the device, we can safely say that the analogy is far-fetched. These two models are similar only in the shape of the case and the fingerprint scanner located on the rear surface.

Compared to the HTC phablet, the Chinese company's device has a much more compact, thin and light body (157x81x7.9 mm with a weight of 185 grams versus 164.5x82.5x10.3 mm with 217 grams), which is partly due to truly narrow frames - the screen is here takes up as much 83% of the entire front surface area. For comparison, the iPhone 6 Plus has only 73%. True, despite all its compactness, you still won’t be able to use the Mate 7 with one hand; at most you can use swipes to change desktops or scroll through.

In general, the flagship body is designed in a trendy minimalist style and at the same time has a rather presentable and solid appearance. The assembly is not bad, there are no creaks or backlashes. It fits in the hand like an ordinary “shovel” (even the complete absence of frames will not save you from such a favorite analogy), but compared to its colleagues in the workshop, this is one of the most convenient devices - it has a pleasant tactile sensation and does not tend to slip out.

The entire front surface is covered with a layer of protective glass, and the back, which extends into the side edges, is made of metal. Plastic is present only in the upper and lower parts of the lid (this is where the communication modules are located) as well as the screen frame. The last one, by the way, is quite chips easily, it is with her that you need to be more careful. In general, the external differences between the materials of the rear panel are absolutely invisible, so the case at first glance seems to be completely aluminum.

Under the massive camera eye is a fingerprint scanner, made in the shape of a square with rounded edges and slightly recessed into the body. It is very easy to use, easy to feel with your finger and just fits perfectly into the overall design, especially compared to the previously mentioned HTC One Max.

On the left side there are slots for a SIM card and a microSD memory card ( in the dual-SIM version, called Mate 7 Premium, you can also install a nano-SIM in the memory card slot). On the right is the volume rocker and power button. The latter in our specimen was recessed a little deeper, and sometimes even sunk. Fortunately, it didn’t affect the work in any way, it was only felt by the lack of feedback, which was extremely inconvenient. Judging by the comments of other Mate 7 owners, this is rather a special case.

Describing the placement of various elements on the case, one cannot fail to note the location of the USB connector - it is located slightly to the left of the central part of the bottom end. This solution looks like “neither two, nor one and a half.” Of course, this cannot be called a drawback, but perfectionists are unlikely to like it.

Screen

Mate 7 is equipped with an IPS matrix from Japan Display Inc. With a 6" diagonal, the resolution is 1920x1080 pixels. The pixel density per inch is about 368, which is generally more than enough. If there were QHD here, hardly anyone would be able to notice an improvement in picture quality. In addition, a higher resolution would have a negative impact on autonomy, one of the main advantages of the device.

The viewing angles are all fine. In terms of contrast, the image is quite calm, without any emphasis on certain shades. If necessary, you can adjust the color temperature in the settings, making the picture warmer or colder. The brightness reserve is average, but in most usage scenarios it will be enough.

It is also worth highlighting the good anti-glare coating - the screen remains readable even in strong sunlight. The display is protected by scratch- and chip-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 3, as befits a flagship.

Filling

The phablet is equipped with a powerful eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 925 processor with big.LITTLE architecture. It is based on 4 Cortex-A15 cores with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz and 4 less productive Cortex-A7 with a frequency of 1.3 GHz. For graphics processing, a fairly modern Mali-T624 MP4 accelerator with support for OpenGL ES 3.0 is used. This “baggage” allows the phablet to demonstrate good, but still not top results in benchmarks.

In addition to the main “motor,” there is a coprocessor responsible for processing data from sensors and a fingerprint scanner, as well as a separate module for audio streaming and dedicated camera and display controllers. With such a division of the hardware load, there is no question of any lags; the device runs demanding games like Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 5 and Darkness Reborn with a bang, and in general, practically no lags were noticed during use.

The amount of RAM was 2 GB, the built-in memory was 16 GB (12 GB free), expandable with microSD cards up to 64 GB. The dual-SIM version of the device has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory.

The phablet works in LTE networks, including high-speed LTE Cat 6(which can try it with a MegaFon SIM card in Moscow, St. Petersburg and some other cities), supports Wi-Fi b/g/n (dual-band, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi hotspot), Bluetooth 4.0 (A2DP, EDR, LE) and NFC. There are also GPS and GLONASS modules. There were no problems with the stability of their work. Here it is worth mentioning the ability to connect data storage devices (OTG support), which is also a plus.

Cameras

The main camera of the Mate 7 has an Exmor RS matrix with a resolution of 13 megapixels and an f/2.0 aperture. The peephole itself is slightly forward, and when the smartphone is positioned with the screen facing up, the glass of the photomodule is quite easy to scratch.

The quality of shooting on the automatic is not bad, although, of course, it does not reach the level of top-end models from Samsung and Sony, which is especially noticeable in low-light conditions - color rendition begins to lie a little. This can be partially corrected using manual settings.

In general, on a five-point scale, the main camera can be rated “4+”, since in most cases you don’t have to bother with adjustments - noise and distortion are rarely visible in the pictures, and focusing is high, fast and accurate. Let us immediately note a special program mode in which you can switch focus between objects in the finished photo. Fans of “bokehs” (blurring the background of a photo with focus at a certain point) will definitely appreciate this ( example below).

(post focusing example)

Video recording is possible at a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second, which is sufficient in most cases. After decent photography, the quality of the videos will hardly please you. The stabilization is weak, the image becomes blurry and occasionally sags.

For selfie fans, the phablet will offer a 5-megapixel front wide-angle camera. In the presence of uniform lighting, the pictures are quite acceptable, at night or without a more or less decent light source in the room - the expected abundance of noise and ripples.

Among the software features there is the ability to take photos with sound (audio notes), record information about the weather in the frame (I wonder why?), date and location (watermarks), and, of course, there is a traditional panoramic selfie. The camera shutter can be released by touching the fingerprint scanner (selected in the settings), that is, even on such a huge 6-inch shovel “Selfies” can be done with one hand- it is very comfortable.

System

Out of the box, Mate 7 runs on the already outdated Android 4.4.2 without the ability to select the ART engine. The system is complemented by the EMUI 3.0 shell, which has become easier to use and flatter in design. Compared to the previous version 2.0, installed, for example, on, the progress is really noticeable.

The absence of colorful and sloppy elements with a lot of animation and shadows is quite in the spirit of modern trends. I would especially like to highlight the navigation bar, which by default is designed to match Android 5.0 (triangle, circle and square), which I personally, as a fan of Google’s pure OS, really liked.

The general concept of EMUI assumes the absence of a list of applications as such - all icons of installed games and programs are automatically appear on desktops. All you have to do is organize them or simply stuff them into folders so that your eyes are not an eyesore.

A long press on an empty space opens the table settings menu, which allows you to quickly change the wallpaper, display widgets, select a flipping animation and set the size of the thumbnails (grid of icons: 4x4, 5x4 and 5x5). In the same setup mode, when you shake the smartphone, all the shortcuts scattered in different places on the table will be organized - an interesting solution.

The curtain from the top bar is divided into two areas: notifications, which are displayed in chronological order, and icons, otherwise known as quick settings. To immediately open a specific section, you need to open the curtain from the desired half of the bar: the left one is notifications, the right one is settings (similar to tablets). Also, by swiping down on the main screen, you can call up the universal search by applications, contacts and messages.

Running processes on the multitasking screen are displayed in a grid of 4 thumbnails, so if you have more active applications, be prepared to often scroll through the screens and look for what you need. Well, they are unloaded from memory by simply swiping up, and this applies both to a separate process and to all of them at once (by clicking on the thumbnail or just above the circle in the navigation bar).

Huawei branded applications have changed for the better compared to the previous version of the shell. A more advanced file manager has appeared with visual statistics on the types of files in memory, a convenient “dialer” with swipe movement between sections, a very beautiful weather informer, a music player and other tools.

In most applications, designers took as a basis a design style familiar to many with background blur and a circular scale, with the help of which various parameters are adjusted.

The general appearance of the interface, widgets and shortcuts is traditionally set by branded themes. The choice is not rich - only six, and all are of the same type, there is nowhere to go wild with customization. Fortunately, there are always third-party launchers that appear in a completely different form on a 6-inch screen.

Fingerprint scanner

The fingerprint scanner is the indisputable advantage of this phablet. It has a very convenient location, allowing you to forget about any swipes or other additional actions. Mate 7 makes it easy— just take it in your hand, and your index finger will be on the scanner; one touch is enough to read and unlock. That is, you don’t even have to press the power button to activate the screen.

The accuracy of the sensor is excellent, problems with identification are solved in one or two minutes by simply moving your finger to the left or right, it all depends on how you scanned it. In total, the system is capable of remembering up to 5 fingers, although two are usually enough, the index fingers on each hand.

As already noted, fingerprints can be equipped with the function of unlocking or providing access to the section of personal data and blocked applications. Also, when the camera is running, by placing your finger on the sensor, you can take a photo (applicable to both selfies and regular photos). In practice, this feature is really convenient; the scanner allows you to cope with any shooting with one hand, and this is at 6"!

In order to delete/replace fingerprints stored in memory or simply switch some options related to the sensor, you must enter the password you specified during the initial scan. If you forget or lose it, nothing short of a general reset will help.

Sound

Huawei Ascend Mate 7 has a separate TenSilica music chip with support DTS technology(Digital Theater System - Digital theater system). The sound in high-quality headphones (tested in conjunction with Creative Aurvana Live!) is quite loud, bassy and truly clear.

The standard music player here is quite primitive. It does not have an equalizer or any other settings that allow you to adapt the sound style to your own preferences. The only thing available is DTS on/off. Among other things, there is an FM radio, which traditionally only works in conjunction with headphones, and a voice recorder.

Autonomy

Autonomy is one of the main advantages of the device, since Huawei managed to fit a 4,100 mAh lithium-polymer battery into a fairly thin body. Even many 7-inch tablets cannot boast of such a capacity, let alone similar phablets. In practice, this is really noticeable - the Mate 7 did not survive until the evening charge only if mobile games were played. Otherwise, with average intensity of use, it will be enough for two days.

I was especially pleased with the fact that in standby mode the charge is practically not consumed - on average, during a night of inactivity only 2-3% battery. And this is taking into account the presence of Android 4.4 KitKat; with Lollipop, this figure should improve noticeably.

Practical system reminders about running applications in the background and the “Energy Saving” mode, which allows access only to calls, messages and contacts, will also contribute to extending the work on a single charge. The latter will help out in situations where you need to wait for an important call, but the battery is already running low.

Summary

As a result of the overall impression during use, the device can be praised. Huawei has come up with a solid, long-lasting phablet capable of attracting attention with its hardware, design, and features typical of top flagships, such as a sensitive fingerprint scanner and a dedicated DAC. Among its 6-inch counterparts, it is one of the most compact and light, which is noticeable not only on paper - the Mate 7 is really convenient and will be an excellent choice for fans of large gadgets. The main thing is to understand that this is still a large smartphone, and not a small tablet. There is clearly no point in confusing such concepts and equating them.

Advantages:

• metal body with narrow frames;
• high-quality screen;
• convenient fingerprint scanner;
• high-capacity battery;
• LTE Cat 6 support.

Flaws:

• Android 4.4.2 (without ART selection);
• the plastic frame of the screen is prone to chipping;
• scratched camera lens.

Competitors

The main competitor of the Mate 7 in the Russian market is the dual-SIM Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro, which, with similar dimensions and a 6-inch screen, has a QHD matrix and a more modern Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor.

Among the disadvantages are the lack of a slot for a memory card (with 32 GB of its own), a more “clumsy” design and a price of about 40,000 rubles versus 35,000 for the Mate 7. You can also note the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, it has a less capacious battery, the display is 0 .3" smaller (5.7"), but again a QHD matrix, a stylus and 3 GB of RAM.

However, with a price starting at 45,000 rubles, it can hardly be called a direct competitor, and this also applies to the Nexus 6 from Motorola. Other gadgets in this “shovel” category, as a rule, are significantly inferior to the Mate 7 in terms of technical equipment.

Technical characteristics of Huawei Ascend Mate 7:

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