The Huawei Mate 9 represents a real maturation of Huawei in a number of areas – most importantly in the company's dedication to a solid final product. What we've seen from Huawei in the past is a set of fairly good or really great components mixed with questionable execution.

Impressive responsiveness; processor performs very well; Back-facing camera is amongst best on the market; Bright; colorful display; Expandable storage; IR blaster

Not available through US-based carriers (must buy SIM separate; Pre-installed screen protector scratches easily; Speaker quality not top-notch at highest volume; Display just 1080p across 6.2-inches

The past 12 months or so have seen Huawei transform from a budget Chinese phone maker into a flagship smartphone powerhouse. The company's two major 2016 handset releases – the Huawei P9 and Honor 8 – were both fantastic pieces of hardware with attractive price tags to boot.

Excellent SoC and storage performance; Beautiful aluminum unibody design with slim bezels; Fantastic battery life; Improved dual camera system can take good photos

Display is below par; EMUI (software) is improving, but still needs work; Camera underperforms in weak lighting

Huawei's Mate 9 is the kitchen sink of phones. You get a boatload of features, such as an IR blaster, clever stereo speakers, a fingerprint sensor, and a big, bright, 5.9-inch screen. It also has some of the best performance we've seen from a mobile processor.

12 hours of battery life; Superbright 5.9-inch screen; Fantastic performance; Dual SIM tray with microSD slot

Dull design; Not water-resistant; Grainy low-light photo; Restricted to GSM carriers (AT&T and T-Mobile

If the Galaxy Note 7 was still on the market, Samsung would be facing significant competition. But since that device went up in flames, the Mate 9 stands alone without any major phablet competitor. The iPhone 7 Plus makes comparable promises, but it is Apple.

High performance; Long battery life; Fast charging; Better value than the competition; Stereo sound in landscape mode; Excellent reception

Not waterproof; Very large; Mediocre gaming performance; Display not recommended for VR

Huawei's Mate 9 is an incredible big-screen behemoth that'll make you forget all about the Note 7.

Surprisingly compact body; Amazing dual-lens Leica camera; Revised and improved software; Alexa support; Big battery

Not water-resistant, No U.S; release date yet, Uninspired design

The Huawei Mate 9 is an unashamedly big phone, and that's becoming an increasingly rare thing since the demise of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 . For the albeit pricey RRP of ￡600 you get a huge screen, beefy battery, brand-new CPU and plenty of storage and RAM.

Impressive battery life; Lovely screen; Much improved software; Plenty of power

Slightly dull design; Still some annoying software quirks; Camera not always reliable

The Huawei Mate series did big-screen before big-screen was even fashionable. Now that it's an increasing norm, the Mate 9 finds itself the focus of greater attention than its predecessors - and for good reason.

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

Can Huawei's phablet take on the Pixel XL and iPhone 7 Plus?

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

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

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

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, bringing excellent value for money.