Huawei’s first premium flagship of the year is finally here as the Huawei Mate 8 launches in KLCC today. With more than 1,000 people gracing the event, the launch was a fancy affair, which isn’t very surprising as the Huawei Mate 8 is a beautiful, sleek and classy device.
For the Mate 8, Huawei has decided to go with the company’s latest Kirin processor, the Kirin 950. Being the best processor that Huawei has made to date, the Kirin 950 processor allows the Mate 8 to deliver quality performance. While high performance smartphones usually have a lower battery life, that isn’t the case with the Huawei Mate 8 as the Kirin 950 is an energy efficient chip, allowing the phone to last for over two days on a full charge under normal usage conditions. Furthermore, the 4000mAh battery that comes with the Mate 8 features quick charging technology, allowing the Mate 8 to last the entire day with just 30 minutes of charging time.
Security is key when it comes to the Mate 8. This shows as Huawei has implemented a new generation of fingerprint touch technology. Aside from the usual feature of unlocking the phone via fingerprint, you can now keep your files secure, lock applications, turn off alarms, take photos, as well as answer calls using only your fingerprint. To amp up the security even further, the Mate 8’s Kirin 950 processor comes with TrustZone, a built-in firewall. Couple that with Huawei’s secure OS, the Mate 8 is able to protect all data from thievery, even if the phone is stolen.
New to the Mate 8 is Super Hands-Free 3.0 technology. This tech allows users to have hands-free conversation with the phone from three meters away. Besides hands-free conversations, this technology is also able to identify sound sources from specific directions, allowing users to play back recordings and listen in on all conversations surrounding the Mate 8 accurately. Another feature that will benefit the business-minded individual is that the Mate 8 will be able to automatically recognize and save information on scanned business cards to the phone’s contact list, negating the need to manually key in a new contact’s information.
Knuckle gestures return to the Mate 8 and it comes with some new improvements. This time, users are able to take screenshots, start or stop screen recordings, and even open apps through knuckle gestures, allowing for more efficient use of time.
The Huawei Mate 8 will come in two variants. The Standard variant will come in moonlight silver and space grey colours and will retail for RM 2,099. The Premium variant will come in champagne gold and mocha brown colours and retail for RM 2,399. Huawei will be having a promotion on the opening sales day for the Huawei Mate 8 on the 11th of March where the first 88 buyers of the Mate will be able to walk away with a Huawei TalkBand B2 worth RM 668 at the KLCC flagship store.
In addition to the Mate 8, Huawei has also announced that they will be releasing the Nexus 6P Gold Edition. Aimed for those who want a more luxurious-looking device, the Nexus 6P Gold Edition will retail for RM 2,698.
The Huawei Mate 8 will be available in stores on the 11 March 2016, and also offered through telco partners Maxis, Celcom, Digi and RedOne. The phone can also be purchased through VMall (www.vmall.my) and online partner Lazada (www.lazada.com.my), with sales starting on the 8 March.
