Huawei has just released its latest flagship smartphone in its home country, called the Mate 90 Pro Max, and there is plenty to get excited about here. The first thing that catches the eye is the peppy, vibrant colors the phone has launched in and the textured design on its back, making it stand out from the usual minimalist flagships we have grown accustomed to in recent years. Of course, it’s not some revolutionary design choice, but the phone does have more personality than much of the competition.
Moving beyond its design, there is still plenty to talk about, like its 50MP primary camera that has a large 1/1.28-inch RYYB sensor with optical image stabilization and a continuously variable f/1.4 to f/4.0 aperture. It is joined by a 40MP ultrawide and a 200MP periscope telephoto with 4x optical zoom, OIS, and Huawei’s third-generation Red Maple color sensor. Huawei also lists 8x “optical quality” zoom (likely an in-sensor crop) and up to 100x digital zoom.
The Collector’s Edition takes the camera obsession even further
Huawei is also selling a Mate 90 Pro Max Collector’s Edition that supports the Ruiying Z10 external camera module. The accessory has its own 1-inch RYYB sensor, covers a 24mm to 240mm focal range, and offers 10x continuous optical zoom with a variable f/2.0 to f/4.5 aperture.
Up front, the phone gets a 6.9-inch dual-layer LTPO OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a claimed peak brightness of 12,000 nits, all protected by tough third-generation Kunlun Glass.
Big battery and Huawei’s own silicon
The Mate 90 Pro Max uses Huawei’s own Kirin 9050 series processors, with the 16GB RAM versions getting the more powerful Kirin 9050 Pro. There is also a fairly large 6,800mAh battery inside, paired with 100W wired and 50W wireless charging. Connectivity features include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, NFC, and eSIM support, while the phone also comes with an IP69 rating for dust and water resistance.
The phone is available in Crystal White, Emerald Green, Obsidian Black, and Rose Gold, while the Collector’s Edition is limited to Emerald Green. Pricing starts at 9,499 yuan, or roughly $1,417, while the Collector’s Edition starts at 10,999 yuan (~$1,640). The full Pro Camera Kit costs 19,499 yuan, or around $2,910. Unfortunately, Huawei has only announced the Mate 90 Pro Max for China, and given the company’s continued restrictions in the U.S., a stateside release is effectively off the table.
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