The Huawei Mate S could give Apple a run for its money

Today at its IFA 2015 press event, Huawei unveiled the Mate S, a follow-up to last year’s fingerprint sensor-enabled Ascend Mate 7. The device, which has now shrunk in size from six inches to a more manageable 5.5 inches, is a refresh that borrows the all-metal looks of its predecessor. But more so than looking back to the Ascend Mate 7, Huawei’s new flagship draws heavy comparison to Apple’s marquee smartphone: the iPhone 6 Plus. Huawei CEO Richard Yu walked attendees through the basics of the Mate S: 5.5-inch 1080p screen with 2.5D fourth-generation Gorilla Glass display, 7.2mm thickness, Kirin chipset, 13-megapixel rear camera with optical image stabilization, stepped battery rated for over one full day and an improved rear-fixed fingerprint sensor. Where the Mate S’ design is concerned, Yu specifically called out its curved metal build — what he referred to as “diamond cut” — as being more comfortable for most consumers to hold. Gone from the Mate S are the typical Android shortcut keys as they are now hidden in the Mate S’ “magic bottom” just beneath the screen. And down at the base, surrounding the micro-USB port, are dual speakers.