Huawei’s Mate series got a new member in late 2018, the Huawei Mate 20. As usual, it came accompanied by several other variants in Huawei Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 RS, and Mate 20 X, which looks like the company’s answer to the S Pen-totting Samsung Galaxy Note 9. Prior to their arrival, the Chinese vendor had already unveiled the entry-level variant, Huawei Mate 20 Lite.

In total, the Mate 20 series has a total of 5 variants, which makes it quite messy and hard to keep track of. For many, telling these phones apart isn’t easy and in this post, we tell you all that you need to know about the entire Mate 20 series.

Latest news

April 29, 2019: Huawei is rolling out the beta version of EMUI 9.1 to the Mate 20, Mate 20 Pro, Mate 20 X, and Mate 20 RS. The update doesn’t bring a change in the Android OS, but Huawei says it comes to streamline and enhance the quality of your experience.

EMUI 9.1 brings a new UI with icons that are more realistic and simple to interact with. Huawei says the new Ark Compiler refines and optimizes the system and improves performance, responsiveness and third-party operations.

The updated GPU Turbo 3.0 now covers 25 of the most popular games and even better is that it accelerates the graphics processing without increasing power consumption even at a higher frame rate.

The Mate 20 Lite is also receiving this same update, although it had to wait for about a week before the beta testing started. It’s also worth noting that the rollout is currently restricted to the Chinese market, but more regions should get the stable version in the coming weeks.

Specifications

Mate 20 specs

  • 6.53-inch 18.7:9 FHD+ (2244 x 1080) LCD display
  • Kirin 980 processor
  • 4GB or 6GB RAM
  • 128GB expandable storage, up to 256GB
  • Tri-lens 12MP + 16MP + 8MP main camera
  • 24MP front camera
  • 4000mAh battery
  • Android 9 Pie
  • Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, NFC, 3.5mm audio jack, 22.5W fast charging, rear-mounted FPS, IP53, etc.

Mate 20 RS specs

  • 6.39-inch 19.5:9 QHD+ (3120 x 1440) OLED display
  • Kirin 980 processor
  • 8GB RAM
  • 128GB or 256GB expandable storage, up to 256GB
  • Tri-lens 40MP + 20MP + 8MP main camera
  • 24MP front camera
  • 4200mAh battery
  • Android 9 Pie
  • Extras: Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, NFC, 40W super fast charging, 15W fast wireless charging, Reverse wireless charging, In-display FPS, Face ID, IP68, etc.

For a similar rundown of the specs of the other three, check out the links below.

Mate 20 features

Huawei is the second-leading Android smartphone vendor and this shows in the quality of the flagship Mate 20 series. While the likes of reverse wireless charging, Face ID, and even the support for up to 40W super fast charging tech have been telling additions to the Mate 20 series, not all variants have the same features.

Below are some of the best features (and feature comparisons) you’ll encounter on the Mate 20 devices.

Software update

Apart from the Mate 20 Lite that came with Android Oreo, Huawei launched the other Mate 20 devices with Android 9 Pie pre-installed. This had EMUI 9.0 on board, but the devices have since been upgraded to EMUI 9.1.

EMUI 9.1 brings a good number of enhancements and features on top of the same Pie, but this is just the beginning of a series of software updates these devices will be receiving from the vendor. To keep track of your specific device, check out the links below:

Yes, the software update page for the Mate 20 RS isn’t ready, but it should be very soon.

Best cases

The Mate 20 series sits at the top of Huawei’s smartphone hierarchy. This means you get the best in just about every aspect, including on the entry-level Mate 20 Lite. However, given how precious and expensive these devices can be, taking great care of them is inevitable. To do this, you need a good case, be it slim, rugged, wallet, shockproof, and so on, the best of which we’ve put together via the links below.

Note: This post shall be updated from time to time.

Related: The best Huawei phones