Huawei Mate 50 vs Mate 40: A Clash of Flagship Titans

Huawei's Mate series consistently delivers premium smartphones, but with each iteration, the question arises: is the upgrade worth it? We're pitting the Huawei Mate 50 against its predecessor, the Mate 40, to dissect their strengths and weaknesses and help you decide which one deserves your money.

Phones Images

🏆 Quick Verdict

The Mate 50 edges out the Mate 40 thanks to its significantly faster Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, improved charging speeds, and refined camera system. While the Mate 40 remains a capable device, the Mate 50 offers a noticeable performance boost and a more modern experience.

PHONES
Phone Names	Huawei Mate 50	Huawei Mate 40

Network
2G bands	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900
3G bands	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100	HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100
4G bands	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 66 - International	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41
5G bands	-	1, 3, 28, 38, 40, 41, 77, 78, 79, 80, 84 SA/NSA/Sub6
Speed	HSPA, LTE	HSPA, LTE, 5G
Technology	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / CDMA2000 / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE / 5G
	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 - China	-

Launch
Announced	2022, September 06	2020, October 22
Status	Available. Released 2022, September 28	Available. Released 2020, December 21

Body
Build	-	Glass front, glass back or eco leather back, aluminum frame
Dimensions	161.5 x 76.1 x 8 mm (6.36 x 3.00 x 0.31 in)	158.6 x 72.5 x 8.8 mm (Glass) / 9.2mm (Leather)
SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM	· Nano-SIM· Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM
Weight	202 g / 206 g (7.13 oz)	188 g (Glass) / 184 g (Leather) (6.49 oz)
	IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 min)	IP53, dust and splash resistant

Display
Protection	Huawei Kunlun Glass	Asahi Dragontrail Glass
Resolution	1224 x 2700 pixels (~442 ppi density)	1080 x 2376 pixels (~402 ppi density)
Size	6.7 inches, 108.9 cm2 (~88.6% screen-to-body ratio)	6.5 inches, 102.7 cm2 (~89.3% screen-to-body ratio)
Type	OLED, 1B colors, 90Hz	OLED, HDR10, 90Hz

Platform
CPU	Octa-core (1x3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3x2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)	Octa-core (1x3.13 GHz Cortex-A77 & 3x2.54 GHz Cortex-A77 & 4x2.05 GHz Cortex-A55)
Chipset	Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G (4 nm)	Kirin 9000E 5G (5 nm)
GPU	Adreno 730	Mali-G78 MP22
OS	EMUI 13 (International), HarmonyOS 3.0 (China)	Android 10, EMUI 11, no Google Play Services

Memory
Card slot	Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)	Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot)
Internal	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM	128GB 8GB RAM, 256GB 8GB RAM
	UFS 3.1	UFS 3.1

Main Camera
Features	Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, LED flash, panorama, HDR	Laser AF, color spectrum sensor, Leica optics, LED flash, panorama, HDR
Single	13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide)	13 MP, f/2.0, 1/3.1", 1.12µm, AF
Triple	50 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0, 24mm (wide), PDAF 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚ (ultrawide), PDAF	50 MP, f/1.9, 23mm (wide), 1/1.28", 1.22µm, multi-directional PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, 85mm (telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom 16 MP, f/2.2, 17mm (ultrawide)
Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps, gyro-EIS	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, 1080p@960fps, gyro-EIS

Selfie camera
Features	HDR, panorama	HDR, panorama
Single	13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide)	13 MP, f/2.4, 18mm (ultrawide)
Video	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps	4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps

Sound
3.5mm jack	No	Yes
35mm jack	No	Yes
Loudspeaker	Yes, with stereo speakers	Yes
	32-bit/384kHz audio	32-bit/384kHz audio

Comms
Bluetooth	5.2, A2DP, LE	5.2, A2DP, LE
Infrared port	Yes	Yes
NFC	Yes	Yes
Positioning	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a), GALILEO (E1+E5a), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC (L5)	GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS (L1), BDS (B1I+B1c+B2a+B2b), GALILEO (E1+E5a+E5b), QZSS (L1+L5), NavIC
Radio	No	No
USB	USB Type-C 3.1, OTG, Display Port 1.2	USB Type-C 3.1, OTG
WLAN	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct

Features
Sensors	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, barometer, compass	Fingerprint (under display, optical), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
	BDS Satellite Message (sending only)	-

Battery
Charging	66W wired 50W wireless 5W reverse wireless	40W wired 40W wireless 5W reverse wired
Type	Li-Po 4460 mAh	Li-Po 4200 mAh

Misc
Colors	Black, Silver, Purple, Orange	Silver, White, Black, Green, Yellow
Models	CET-AL00, CET-LX9	OCE-AN10
Price	About 720 EUR	About 630 EUR
SAR EU	-	0.49 W/kg (head) 0.76 W/kg (body)

Huawei Mate 50

Significantly faster performance (Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1)
Faster wired and wireless charging
Improved camera system
Refined design

Potentially higher price
4G connectivity only

Huawei Mate 40

Excellent camera system
Premium build quality
Potentially lower price (depending on retailer)
Good battery life

Slower charging speeds
Less powerful chipset
No 5G connectivity

Display Comparison

Both phones feature excellent OLED displays with vibrant colors and deep blacks. The Mate 50 generally has slightly better brightness and potentially a more refined color calibration, though both offer a premium viewing experience. The Mate 50 may also have a slightly higher refresh rate, contributing to smoother scrolling.

Camera Comparison

Both phones boast impressive camera systems. The Mate 50 features an enhanced main sensor and improved image processing algorithms, resulting in better low-light performance and more detailed photos. The Mate 40's camera is still excellent, but the Mate 50 takes the lead in overall image quality and versatility.

Performance

The Mate 50's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a clear winner here. It offers significantly improved CPU and GPU performance compared to the Kirin 9000E in the Mate 40. Expect faster app loading times, smoother multitasking, and better gaming performance on the Mate 50.

Battery Life

The Mate 50's 66W wired charging is a substantial upgrade over the Mate 40's 40W. Wireless charging is also faster on the Mate 50 (50W vs 40W). Battery life itself is likely comparable between the two, as both have similar capacity batteries, but the Mate 50's faster charging provides a significant convenience advantage.

Buying Guide

The Huawei Mate 50 is ideal for users prioritizing performance, fast charging, and the latest camera technology. It's a great choice for power users and photography enthusiasts. The Huawei Mate 40 is a solid option for those seeking a premium experience at a potentially lower price point, especially if 5G isn't a necessity.

Frequently Asked Questions

❓ Does the Huawei Mate 50 support 5G?

No, the Huawei Mate 50 only supports 4G connectivity due to ongoing restrictions on Huawei's access to 5G technology.

❓ Is the Mate 50's camera significantly better than the Mate 40's?

Yes, the Mate 50 offers improvements in low-light performance, detail, and overall image processing, making it a noticeable upgrade for photography enthusiasts.