Last week, in my article about the mid-range phones (blurring the lines), I mentioned the Huawei Mate 9 and the ZTE Blade V8 Pro. This week, I thought I’d let you know a little more of about each, as I continue and begin to use each, respectively.
Mate 9
I’ve owned the Mate 9 for 2 ½ weeks now and have been using it daily. In my opinion, this is a totally awesome piece of technology that Huawei can be very proud of. For the price ($599), I think it’s the phone to beat so far, this year. I realize that’s it’s still early but, I expect it will stand up to the competition throughout the year. The IPS display is on par with amoled displays on other phones and, I suspect, most people would think it is amoled at first glance. I’m finding battery life to be amazing in day to day use. Sound quality is wonderful from the dual speakers, though I haven’t really tested much with headphones. All-in-all the Mate 9 is a great device that I would recommend to anyone.
ZTE Blade V8 Pro
As for the ZTE Blade V8 Pro, I received mine on Tuesday of this week and began using it as my daily driver yesterday, making the Mate 9 my secondary phone. I carry both with me all day (I have 2 active numbers) and both are performing flawlessly thus far.
It’s hard to believe that the Blade V8 Pro sells for $229.98. Yes, it has a rubberized backing, but it truly feels like a premium device in the hand. The IPS display may not be on par with amoled, but it certainly looks attractive with bright colors and does well in bright light. This is my first phone with a front fingerprint sensor/home button combination and I thought that I would not like the experience, being a fan of rear fingerprint sensors. But, the front button sensor works so wonderfully that I couldn’t justify any complaint. It seems to work 100% of the time, no matter which way I place my thumb on it. And, man it is quick. Though this is only my second full day with the phone, I already feel that I could recommend it for anyone not particularly needing the highest end device. Thus far, the bottom-firing speaker is the weak feature, but it is certainly adequate.
The bottom line is that I would have no problem recommending either phone, as they are both well worth the asking price and not only perform well, but are a pleasure to use. I will continue to use them both as daily drivers and will try to get back to you, if I find that my opinion changes. But, for now, I’d say that you couldn’t go wrong with either device.
Thanks for taking the time to read this post and sincerely hope it was found helpful and enjoyable! Please feel free to leave thoughts down below in the comments and don’t forget to subscribe to Bane Tech on YouTube, Google+, Facebook, Twitter & Instagram!
Began writing for Bane-Tech August 2014, due to an ever-growing passion for mobile and Android in particular.
Computer programmer 1981 to 2015. Currently retired. Active You Tuber (Mobile Geezer:
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Sax player and singer in various bands (rock and R&R) since the mid 60's. Avid motorcycle rider (Gold Wing), bicyclist and exercise enthusiast. Extreme lover of driving and biking (motorcycle). The more thousand miles the trip, the happier I am as the driver.
Dedicated, Bible-believing Christian who makes no judgments on others .
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