If you are in the market for a high-end smartphone that combines top-notch build quality, stunning good looks and plenty of power features, you’ve never been more spoilt for choice.
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge have been available for a few months and they recently added two new bigger screen options in the form of the S6 Edge Plus and the Note 5.
Apple’s new iPhone 6S in both standard and Plus size configurations is also now available from local cellular providers.
Still can’t make up your mind? Don’t forget to check out Sony’s brand new Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact. LG’s G4 has been around for a bit longer, but it should definitely be on your not-so-short list.
Made up your mind? Not so fast.
That’s because Huawei’s just launched its new flagship, the Mate S, in South Africa and you should definitely take a look at it before you make your choice.
I was lucky enough to attend the global launch of the Mate S in Berlin, Germany in September, and getting a chance to try it out again, albeit briefly, at the Mzanzi unveiling only confirmed my generally favourable impressions.
These days, sizzling specs and impressive features aren’t enough. To be a true contender, a smartphone has got to look stunning too. The Mate S has the whole package.
Looks-wise, its certainly a real beauty. Its 5.5-inch, high definition Amoled screen is made of super tough, fourth generation Gorilla Glass and subtly curves to meet the diamond chamfered aluminium body, making for a truly gorgeous eyeful.
It feels reassuringly solid, but not at all heavy, and nestles really comfortably in my medium-sized mitts thanks in large part to the curved back.
The back is also where the fingerprint unlocking sensor is placed. Apart from using it to unlock the device, you can use this sensor to snap a selfie, scroll through your image gallery as well perform several other navigational gymnastics.
Speaking of selfies, the Mate S sports one of the best front-facing cameras I’ve encountered – 8MP with soft front lights – and snapping a selfie is dead easy thanks to the fingerprint sense technology.
The 13MP rear facing camera also looks impressive – on paper at least – boasting features like a four colour RGBW image sensor, optical image stabilisers, dual colour temperature LED flashlights and a manual mode that emulates some key DSLR features.
Unfortunately, the artificial lighting at the launch venue didn’t give me chance to test these out properly, so I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve had a chance to put the camera through its paces in a range of conditions.
Interestingly, the Mate S is the first high-end smartphone to be offered by a South African mobile operator (MTN) in a dual-SIM option, signalling – I hope – a long-overdue change in attitude from the cellular providers to multi-SIM devices.
If you read my earlier report on the global launch of the Mate S you may recall that Huawei went big on the force touch capabilities of its new baby.
Force touch allows users to press ever-so-slightly harder on the screen to unlock a lot more features than a mere tap allows. For example, when scrolling through your photo gallery, pressing harder on a thumbnail enlarges it. When you’ve got an image open, pressing harder on a spot zooms you into that area of the picture.
It’s a feature that’s integral to the new iPhone – Apple calls it 3D Touch – and Huawei made much of the fact that it was releasing its version a whole week before Apple. It’s since emerged that force touch will only be included in the range-topping 128GB model of the Mate S which won’t be available until sometime next year.
The currently available 32GB and 64GB models do not have this feature which comes standard in even the entry-level 16GB iPhone 6S. A bit disappointing, but not a deal breaker for me.
Camera performance and battery life are far more important deciding factors for me, and those can only be tested over several days or, preferably, weeks. I’m expecting a review unit shortly, so watch this space for my verdict.
In the meantime, the Huawei Mate S should definitely be on your radar if you’re looking for a premium smartphone. As you’d expect from a high-end device, it’s not cheap and starts at around R11 000 on prepaid or R499 a month on a contract.
Follow Alan Cooper on Twitter @alanqcooper