Huawei has introduced the Mate 80 series, its latest attempt to reassert itself in the global premium smartphone market. The new lineup builds on the recovery that began with the Mate 60 in 2023 and continued with last year’s Mate 70.
This year’s four devices, Mate 80, Mate 80 Pro, Mate 80 Pro Max and Mate 80 RS Ultimate Design, signal the company’s continued push to compete at the top end of the industry.
The design marks a deliberate shift in Huawei’s approach. All four models use a flat frame with rounded corners and a flat display, moving away from the curved screens that once defined the series.
The main devices retain the circular rear camera housing reminiscent of the Mate 40, while the RS Ultimate Design adopts an octagonal module. A second circular outline on the rear marks the wireless charging coil, creating a distinctive figure eight motif on the back of the device.
The entire range carries IP68 and IP69 ratings for water and high temperature resistance.
Display upgrades are among the most significant changes. The Mate 80 and Mate 80 Pro come with 6.75 inch 2.5D flat panels, while the Pro Max and RS Ultimate Design step up to 6.9 inch OLED screens. Huawei lists peak brightness at 8000 nits, making these among the brightest smartphone displays available.
The screens support adaptive 1 to 120 hertz LTPO refresh rates, high frequency PWM dimming and advanced touch sampling for smoother interaction.
Performance gains are driven by the new Kirin 9030 series processors, with the most powerful chips reserved for the higher tier models. The base Mate 80 uses the Kirin 9020. Huawei reports performance improvements of 35 to 42 percent over the Mate 70 range.
The top model, the Mate 80 RS Ultimate Design, includes up to 20 gigabytes of RAM, the highest in any Mate or P series device. All variants feature upgraded cooling systems to sustain long term performance.
The camera systems continue Huawei’s emphasis on mobile photography. The standard Mate 80 offers a 50 megapixel main lens, a 40 megapixel ultra wide lens, a 12 megapixel periscope telephoto lens and a multispectral sensor for enhanced colour accuracy.
The Mate 80 Pro adds dual periscope telephoto capabilities. The Pro Max and RS Ultimate Design include a 50 megapixel macro telephoto lens and a 50 megapixel super telephoto camera with 6.2 to 12.4 times optical zoom. A variable physical aperture and Huawei’s XMAGE processing software aim to offer greater flexibility for advanced photography. All models also include a front camera and time of flight sensor for three dimensional facial recognition.
Battery capacity has been increased across the series. The Mate 80 and Mate 80 Pro carry 5750 milliamp hour batteries, while the Pro Max and RS Ultimate Design feature 6000 milliamp hour units. Charging speeds stand at 100 watt wired, 80 watt wireless and 20 watt reverse wireless charging.
All devices run HarmonyOS 6, which adds new interface features and new AI powered tools.
Huawei has set the Chinese market prices as follows, with approximate Kenyan shilling equivalents provided:
Mate 80
12 GB plus 256 GB at 4699 yuan (about KSh 86000)
12 GB plus 512 GB at 5199 yuan (about KSh 95000)
16 GB plus 512 GB at 5499 yuan (about KSh 100000)
Mate 80 Pro
12 GB plus 256 GB at 5999 yuan (about KSh 109000)
12 GB plus 512 GB at 6499 yuan (about KSh 118000)
16 GB plus 512 GB at 6999 yuan (about KSh 127000)
16 GB plus 1 TB at 7999 yuan (about KSh 145000)
Mate 80 Pro Max
16 GB plus 512 GB at 7999 yuan (about KSh 145000)
16 GB plus 1 TB at 8999 yuan (about KSh 163000)
Mate 80 RS Ultimate Design
20 GB plus 512 GB at 11999 yuan (about KSh 218000)
20 GB plus 1 TB at 12999 yuan (about KSh 236000)
The Mate 80 series underlines Huawei’s intention to maintain a firm presence in the premium smartphone space, combining design changes, internal upgrades and aggressive hardware specifications. The challenge now will be expanding availability beyond China and navigating the software limitations that continue to shape the company’s global reach.
