Product test
Huawei P20 Pro and its 3 cameras live from Paris
by Dominik Bärlocher
Porsche Design Mate RS: Why can a phone cost 2000 francs?
13.7.2018
When you buy a smartphone, the question of price and performance comes up at some point. But what if this thought doesn't occur to you? Is a phone for 2000 francs worth it? And what do you get for it?
It is probably the most expensive smartphone in history. At the time of going to press, even the iPhone X, with its 1297 francs, had to move into the relatively cheap corner. The Porsche Design Mate RS currently costs 1999 francs, but at least you get a free wireless charger, also in the Porsche Design.
I've been asked a lot about it since I saw it for the first time in Paris. Here's a brief summary:
- "Huh?"
- "What?"
- "Why?"
- "No, really now, why?"
Time to get to the bottom of the questions. The latter question in particular is exciting.
The hardware we know from elsewhere
On closer inspection of the phone - a two thousand pound smartphone justifies this - it quickly becomes apparent that the phone's hardware is new, but not exactly new. The Huawei P20 Pro has almost identical specs. This is hardly surprising, as Huawei has already collaborated with Porsche Design in the past and released phones with an "exclusive design".
So you can expect a Kirin 970 system-on-a-chip (SoC), three cameras and an Amoled screen under the bonnet of the Mate RS. That's pretty much it for the similarities to the P20 Pro, but that doesn't mean that the differences bring significant added value in everyday use. The SoC and the screen dominate the functionality and handling of the phone. The differences lie in the details.
The P20 Pro does not have Dolby Atmos, the Mate RS does. This means that the sound from the built-in speakers in the phone sounds a little richer and slightly louder. You won't notice the optical zoom in the camera, which the P20 Pro doesn't have according to the tech specs, in everyday use. It's a nice feature and one of the trends in the current smartphone year, but it's not a killer argument for buying a smartphone. What an optical zoom is, however, is a technological masterpiece. Engineers have very little space in a smartphone to install more complex mechanical lenses and components. That's why the smartphone fan in me praises it here, but the user doesn't really see any added value.
The Mate RS has 256 GB of internal memory. However, you notice this in everyday life by not noticing it. You have more or less unlimited storage. Well, the 128 GB of the P20 Pro is also quite generous in the age of Spotify and YouTube, where videos and music no longer have to be stored on the device. Essentially, the 256 GB are reserved for photos. Let's assume you take pictures in 4:3 format and you want to use the entire internal memory for pictures. Then you can store 128,000 photos on the device.
The Porsche Phone also has a built-in proximity sensor. I can't tell you what it's good for at the moment. Not because I have any secrets, but because, with the best will in the world, I couldn't really tell what the sensor does or is supposed to do.
The biggest difference is that the P20 Pro has a notch and the Porsche Design Mate RS does not. The screen resolution is also slightly higher. The Mate RS displays content with 2880x1440 pixels and the P20 Pro 2240x1080 pixels. This is probably the reason why the great battery performance is somewhat weaker here. I still have around 20 per cent battery after a day of heavy use, but the P20 Pro rarely drops below the 50 per cent brand.
These are the details that differentiate the Mate RS from the P20 Pro. In terms of day-to-day performance, all the small upgrades don't make a big difference to the P20 Pro. And even if you do notice a big difference, it's not worth 1120 francs. Because a P20 Pro will cost you 879 francs, while the Mate RS cost 1999 at the time of going to press. You can buy 2.27 P20 Pros for that price.
This is why: If you're expecting a review of the phone, then you can read the review of the P20 Pro. Because this phone sets new standards in terms of mobile telephony. The Mate RS differs only slightly from the P20 Pro in terms of use.
Only the wireless charging is pretty cool. I usually have the phone lying somewhere in front of me in everyday life and when I place it on the round charger - with the Porsche Design logo, of course - I never worry about the battery.
The fingerprint scanner under the glass
The Porsche Design Mate RS is one of the first phones to have a fingerprint scanner under the glass of the screen. The conclusion: it works, but...
In order for the above argument to make sense, we need to take a closer look at the technology behind the glass. This is fundamentally different from the technology that operates the fingerprint scanner in the centre of the back of the phone. You will notice this at the latest when you set up the phone. This is because the rear fingerprint cannot be used for the front scanner. This is probably because the front scanner is operated by an optical sensor. This means that the sensor under the glass is essentially a camera. It takes a picture of your finger and then compares it with the composite of the finger that you gave to the device as a reference when setting up the phone.
On the other side, at the back, you'll find the same technology that you'll find in practically every phone. Put simply, the capacitive sensor reads the electronic signals from your finger and creates the fingerprint. The capacitive fingerprint cannot be converted into an optical fingerprint and the reverse is also not possible. That's why you have to set it up twice.
After setting up the front scanner, it also becomes clear why the Mate RS needs the proximity sensor. The feature is well hidden, but becomes apparent when you start playing with the scanner. Normally, you can see the time, date and battery status on the lock screen. However, if you get closer than about five centimetres to the phone, the fingerprint scanner icon lights up under the glass. When you touch the sensor, it lights up bright blue, probably so that the fingerprint on the glass is exposed as well as possible.
The problem with the scanner is that it is extremely slow. It takes about a second for the fingerprint under the glass to be analysed and processed and for the screen to unlock. The rear scanner does the same in under a tenth of a second. Fortunately, the device also has Face Unlock.
This is astonishing in that Porsche Design, a design studio that focuses on speed and performance, relies on a notoriously slow technology. Because it's not as if there is no alternative. And it's not as if this alternative is particularly new. In 2015, Qualcomm, manufacturer of the Snapdragon SoCs, introduced the ultrasonic sensor.
The fact that Huawei, a company that relies on its own platform - the Kirin series - has access to this technology is demonstrated by the Honor 10. The phone manufactured by Huawei's subsidiary has an ultrasonic sensor installed on the front. So why not equip the premium version of the premium phone with premium technology?
A little fun experiment on the side: If you want to find out whether your fingerprint scanner is ultrasonic, you can easily test it in everyday life. Find a dog you know and get the owner's permission. Then give the dog a treat. That's important. Then hold the phone near the animal's head and unlock it while looking at the ears. Dogs hear ultrasound and usually react well to it, as there are very few ultrasonic sounds in everyday life.
Despite everything, the scanner under the glass works. However, as the technology is still new in the context of phones, we are still a long way from the end of development. But the Mate RS serves as a proof of concept, as proof that the scanner under the glass works.
A look at the black block
Let's be honest, the Porsche Design Mate RS is not about the technological features. Or if it is, then only marginally. You can have all the functionality for a little less than half the price, plus even better battery performance. The Porsche Design Mate RS is only about one thing: the design.
The design studio from Zell am See in Austria took a close look at the P20 Pro and then built design around functionality. As the P20 Pro can be categorised somewhere between "arbitrary" and "old-fashioned" from a design point of view, Porsche Design has replaced the entire casing. The cameras are no longer positioned in a corner like on the iPhone, but in the centre. No more notch and the design direction seems to have been "elegant black block".
This works. When you have the phone in front of you, or on the wireless charger, you essentially see a black block that appears to be made entirely of glass. The only thing that bothers me is the logotype at the bottom of the phone. If it wasn't for the lettering at the bottom, the whole front would be blank except for the time in the Porsche Design font called SK Porsche. As it is, you have lettering at the bottom that looks almost vulgar and lovelessly slapped on in the context of the whole design. It just had to have a reminder on the front to remind you that you have a Porsche Design Phone.
I have to quickly insert a personal side note here: I'm a big fan of Porsche Design. Even if the official site of the design studio could find a better copywriter for English texts - I can recommend our in-house translators Jessica Johnson-Ferguson and Eva Francis as well as their external partners Jules Graham and Megan Onions - I really like the designs on the site. Clean lines, no frills, no frippery. Just simple and beautiful. That's why I'm quite harsh on the design.
But the back is a real hit. Three camera lenses in the centre, a fingerprint scanner underneath and the Porsche Design logo further down. Sure, I could do without the Leica lettering and the Huawei logo at the bottom, as well as all the CE labels and recycling and copyright text, but the main design is such a clear statement that things only stand out if you look for them.
What the phone really is
Well, the phone is highly performant thanks to Huawei P20 Pro hardware and looks chic thanks to Porsche Design. But that's not what the Porsche Design Mate RS is all about. The phone is one thing above all: a statement.
In today's world, a smartphone is far more than just a device that you carry around with you. This goes from the choice of platform - the idiotic battle between iOS and Android fans will probably never end - to the choice of phone. Cheap, expensive? Sporty, classy? Long battery life, large screen? There's a phone for every taste. So far, the premium segment, for business women and men whose shirts cost more than some people earn per month, has been somewhat neglected. This is where Porsche Design comes in.
Here we need to quickly rethink: Most of my readers, as I perceive you, are tech geeks and seekers of new phones. But what if the question of price and performance is irrelevant? What if you want to treat yourself to some luxury far removed from all economic and practical considerations? What if you want to make a statement, what if you want to impress your friends, colleagues and networking buddies over an aperitif riche in a classy venue?
Are you going to make the kind of statement with an iPhone X that every teenage boy who's a bit of a savvy businessman makes?
Really?
That's why the Porsche Design Mate RS exists. It's a phone that fits in the pocket of your customised suit. It's a phone that looks good on your solid wood desk in the corner office when it's on the wireless charger. It looks damn good when you're holding it or talking on it. It's a phone for connoisseurs, for show-offs and for those who consciously choose it. It suggests wealth, style and exclusivity. And the phone succeeds across the board.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
Smartphone
Follow topics and stay updated on your areas of interest
24 comments
later