Incredible battery life ; Powerful processor ; Solid build quality

Higher price than expected ; Emotion UI still strange ; Not as Daydream-ready as hoped

The Huawei Mate 9 is a phablet that's built to last, with an impressive camera, powerful processor and great battery life. It's just let down a little by a larger price tag than we've come to expect from the brand.

A well-built big-screen device, huge battery for longevity (around 16-hours of proper use), decent dual camera arrangement (with optical stabilisation), dual SIM and twin-app support

Pricier than previous Mate models, only has Full HD screen, Pro version (China only) is so much nicer, EMUI 5.0 is ultra-strict with app permissions and persistent in notifications

What might come as a surprise about the Mate 9 is just how much it's like the Mate 8 - and we were expecting bigger changes, the kinds of changes we've only got to witness in the Mate 9 Pro and special edition Porsche Design models.

Huawei’s Mate 9 is, in our opinion, the best in the Huawei line-up, boasting an impressively large battery alongside powerful internals, an improved dual-camera setup and a sleek, gorgeous design. The benchmark results were some of the best we've seen,...

The Huawei Mate 9 has more power than you'll need, a camera that's great for arty shots and a battery that won't quit on you by dinner.

Its screen is only full HD and its design is utterly forgettable.

It doesn't have the flame-prone Note 7's beautiful lines and curves, but if you're after a high-performance big-screened phone that won't set your pants on fire, the Mate 9 is a great option.

Great screen-to-size ratio ; Gadget-packed camera ; Seriously powerful CPU and GPU

Not as striking as some rivals ; Battery spec is better than real battery stamina ; AAA price

A geek-pleaser Android phone with serious power and huge screen, in a surprisingly manageable body

Great software ; Premium finish ; Excellent battery life

Expensive

The Huawei Mate 9 isn’t quite the essential purchase that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 was (before the whole burny screamy saga), but it is a very good super-sized handset..

Extra-long battery life Fast, stable performance Flagship phone at a reasonable price

Not waterproof Only Full HD display User interface still suffers from idiosyncrasies

While we wait for Samsung to bring out a large-screen smartphone that doesn’t explode, Huawei certainly has a worthy contender to the phablet throne that literally won’t burn a hole in your pocket.