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Discounted Mate 8 or new Mate 9 - are the 'improvements' worth it?

Hello guys. First of all if a similar thread like this is has been created then I apologize. I'd just like to get your thoughts if getting a new Mate 9 over a discounted Mate 8 is worth it given the differences.
I'm will be upgrading from a Note 3 btw and I can't go back to a smaller screen. The Porsche design of the Mate 9 is out of the question.
Things I'm considering:
1) Design - This is subjective for me but I honestly prefer the sharper design of the Mate 8 over the more rounded design of the Mate 9. Admittedly though I haven't held the Mate 9 personally to know what it feels like; I've only seen pictures and videos.
2) Camera - Is the dual Leica camera setup of the Mate 9 that much better than the Mate 8 and its corresponding image quality also that much better? I don't really care about the lack of 4k of the Mate 8.
3) USB type C - Am I gonna be missing something with the Mate 8 being stuck with usb 2.0?
4) Performance - I mostly choose to play games with good graphics on my phone. Is the Kirin 960+GPU that much better than the 950+GPU? For those with the Mate 8, how's the performance so far since you've bought it?
5) Audio - From the Pocketnow review, they claim that audio volume of the Mate 9 via its headphone is severely lacking. I plan on using mostly bluetooth headphones moving forward so how's the volume of the Mate 8 so far?
That's about it.. Hopefully I can get some replies. Thanks guys!

If you already have the Mate 8 then its definately not worth to upgrade, because the camera in the mate 8 is enough for daily usage. if you wait for andoird n the performance of the kirin 950 can handle most of todays games easily. for audiophiles you better buy a htc..and the mate 8 is way cheaper and bigger

It's a pretty minor upgrade, not worth the current premium over the mate 8 although you will get updates a little bit longer.
If you want a good audio phone you can do great with an Axon 7 which isn't even that expensive. There are various Android tricks with root to boost volume I believe.
No point in caring about usb c. All it really means is your old cables won't work.

The Axon 7 would've been great if they released a version with bigger screen. Anyway thanks guys for the input. Haven't been able to check out all the threads but are there still lingering issues with the Mate 8 like with notifications and doze having conflicts and the like?

I guess the guys above didn't bother to read your post as you said you have a Note 3.
I would choose the Mate 9.
No. 2 & No. 4 are no contest, the 9 is considerably better in those areas.

Different Mate 8 Versions, compatibility?
I would like to tag onto this thread, since i'm looking into a replacement for my Note 3 as well, and I really like the Mate 8.
I always bought my devices through my provider (AT&T) but because of the troubles with locked bootloaders and limited development I decided i would buy my next device unlocked.
What is important to me is the freedom to switch (GSM) carriers, large screen, and the freedom to customize the device through xposed/custom roms. (don't care much for gaming, camera quality etc, but love the large screen to browse the web, watch video, lower DPI)
Looking on Amazon, i can find a unlocked Mate 8 ranging from $367 up to $510, i'm leaning to getting the "cheapest" one: Huawei Mate 8 32GB 6-Inch 4G LTE Factory Unlocked Smartphone - International Stock No Warranty (Space Gray) hxxp://a.co/8WgbFbA
I understand this has only 3GB memory and 32GB storage, but I (think I) can live with that, my biggest concern would be compatibility with the Mate 8 development on XDA.
Can any of you guys say anything about that ? are the different versions of the Mate 8 so close they are interchangeable, or are there things to watch for?
Thanks in advance....

Hey man, I bought my mate 8 from that exact link and i can tell you that it is compatible with the xda mate 8 posts here. The model that was shipped to me was L29C636B180. I just rooted my phone a few days ago and it is working great! I am also upgrading from a note 3 att haha

It's difficult for me to handle mate8 with one hand. I do this with my pinky finger at the bottom of the phone (the phone is standing on it. The edge of the mate8 hurts my pinky.
Im not sure about mate9 though. Just wanna tell you my experience.
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using XDA-Developers mobile app

As long as you get an L29 model you should be fine. People tend to get the Mate phones generally to run stock, there's a lot less flashing and custom roms than most other phones out there.
Ended up getting a Mate 9 recently. Beautiful phone. Main differences are mostly the processor, camera, and newer Rom. It's the best phone I've owned but it's fairly subtle of a difference from the mate 8.

If you play games and take a lot of photos yes, or if you are very picky of speed when web browsing etc you will notice a difference of course. Personally I will wait a little bit. I want my next phone to be bezelless and there is a few ones that are rumoured to come soon.

Upgrade from S6 to Mate 8

How are you guys enjoying your Mate 8's? Any specific gripes? Looking to upgrade to the mate 8 from an S6 flat.

Shamako said:
How are you guys enjoying your Mate 8's? Any specific gripes? Looking to upgrade to the mate 8 from an S6 flat.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I love my mate 8, good device. The update to android 7.0 made in my opinion the device even better.
I just bought a galaxy s7 on contract with 20Gb internet a month, i kinda miss some handy (and lazy) features the mate 8 has. On the hardware side, they are both quick devices, cameras are good, music output on the mate 8 speaker is a bit better then the s7 (there is more bass in the mate 8, it even could handle my hardcore/hardstyle music, the s7 does not). And battery life, the mate 8 is the only device i held that lasts 2 to 2.5 days on a full charge, my s7 goes 1 to 1.5 day. Fingerprint on the mate 8 works very well!
The reason why i bought an use the s7 is because of my work, a screen size of 6 inches will get destroyed at work lol.
You are coming from an s6, you'll have to get used on the software buttons then the hardware buttons with the mate 8 . I suggest you should try out an mate 8 if its available to try in a local phone store. In my opinion huawei does a good job with the Mate and P line.
Btw, the mate 8 is a bit older now, huawei already released the Mate 9... wich looks almost the same but with newer specs and software etc.
Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G930F met Tapatalk

its the peanut said:
I love my mate 8, good device. The update to android 7.0 made in my opinion the device even better.
I just bought a galaxy s7 on contract with 20Gb internet a month, i kinda miss some handy (and lazy) features the mate 8 has. On the hardware side, they are both quick devices, cameras are good, music output on the mate 8 speaker is a bit better then the s7 (there is more bass in the mate 8, it even could handle my hardcore/hardstyle music, the s7 does not). And battery life, the mate 8 is the only device i held that lasts 2 to 2.5 days on a full charge, my s7 goes 1 to 1.5 day. Fingerprint on the mate 8 works very well!
The reason why i bought an use the s7 is because of my work, a screen size of 6 inches will get destroyed at work lol.
You are coming from an s6, you'll have to get used on the software buttons then the hardware buttons with the mate 8 . I suggest you should try out an mate 8 if its available to try in a local phone store. In my opinion huawei does a good job with the Mate and P line.
Btw, the mate 8 is a bit older now, huawei already released the Mate 9... wich looks almost the same but with newer specs and software etc.
Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-G930F met Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
Thanks! I'm fine with software buttons, having used a Nexus 4 and huawei p8 before. Mate 9 is out of the question because of the price - I can get the mate 8 for almost the equivalent price as selling my s6 so it's almost a free upgrade :highfive:

Yeah the mate 9 is a punch in the wallet. Mate 8 should drop alot in price tag at the moment.
I am still sometimes hitting a random spot on the screen cause i am used to the software buttons, then remembering i have hardware buttons now.
I also owned a P8 about a year ago, sadly it got stolen at a festival, but then the mate 8 was in my hands.
But you're selling the s6, hope it still pays out cause its already an older device now due to the s7 and s8 thats coming, and we all know the story about second handed phones when you sell it, you dont get much

I got my mate 8 in Nov. last year. It has been working well till now.

Mate 8 is dual SIM full active. Mate 9 is just dual SIM stand by...
Send by Huawei Mate 8 - NXT-L29 (The last Dual Sim Full Active available in market)

Mate 9 vs S8+/S8 strikes again!

I love this phone! Once again, due to our cpu and gpu, this phone ranks up there with the Snapdragon 835 and Exynos processor! Enjoy reading and the benchmarks.
I do know that benchmarks aren't everything but just enjoy this little piece. I love this phone and I am so glad I have kept it!
https://www.sammobile.com/2017/04/2...-gpu-performance-than-the-snapdragon-variant/
http://m.gsmarena.com/samsung_galax...ragon_835_benchmark_comparison-news-24606.php

Unexpected. But I guess they will improve the performance with further optimisation of their system.

I had the mate 9. Now i have the s8 plus. I'm missing the mate 9.

ekerbuddyeker said:
I had the mate 9. Now i have the s8 plus. I'm missing the mate 9.
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Click to collapse
best proof of the mate 9 is better ^^

Went to play with it again side by side. S8 screen is better and surprisingly, the sound is much clearer on the s8. But I miss the mate camera. I took indoor pictures side by side and really, you can't see any difference.

More and more I think paying that crazy prices for Samsung or any Android phones does not make any sense especially they will drop in price so quickly
Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

I'm not so sure. In many ways it's a far more elegant and polished product that the Mate 9.

ekerbuddyeker said:
I'm not so sure. In many ways it's a far more elegant and polished product that the Mate 9.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it is elegant but way over priced at the same time.
Sent from my MHA-L29 using Tapatalk

If you want great performance & battery, go Mate 9
If you want great display & feel, got Samsung S8 / S8+
I was using Samsung phones since Galaxy S1, and my always complaint was the performance, u take the device out of the box and it's super fast, after some months and installing more and more applications, it lags A LOT!
This year i hold both devices in my hands, IMO, S8+ looks like a 2017 smartphone, but doesn't perform like one. On the other hand, the Mate 9 design is more than okay for me, and it does perform amazing! So i chose performance this year, plus that i saved around $360 price difference, so IMO the Mate 9 is was better value for the money.

Personally I do not like the screen aspect ratio on s8. I like the pen on my note edge but performance and battery was so much better on Mate 9 I made the transition. Will probably go to Note 8 when it comes out.

Has anyone changed to the s8+ after the mate 9?
Im asking because my 6 month contract is going to the end, as i can give my current phone back and take a new one.
So im thinking about s8+ till the mate comes out in december.
And if i change ill get the exynos version not the snapdragon one.

Esterra said:
Has anyone changed to the s8+ after the mate 9?
Im asking because my 6 month contract is going to the end, as i can give my current phone back and take a new one.
So im thinking about s8+ till the mate comes out in december.
And if i change ill get the exynos version not the snapdragon one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I did, I got the s8+ and I used it for a month, I rage quit that phone. I have couple of grimes with the s8+ first the fingerprint sensor, on the mate 9 it's such an amazing thing I love it. But on the s8 makes me pull my hair.
Second the of so buggy software. I rooted and installed custom roms in hopes of fixing them. Yeah no.
I bought an al00 from China 6/128 and switched back to mate 9. I will say I miss the display on the Samsung but that's where it ends.

Esterra said:
Has anyone changed to the s8+ after the mate 9?
Im asking because my 6 month contract is going to the end, as i can give my current phone back and take a new one.
So im thinking about s8+ till the mate comes out in december.
And if i change ill get the exynos version not the snapdragon one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To the S8+, mmmmm nope. I went over to the dark side.

Any one can say something good?

Fred98TJ said:
To the S8+, mmmmm nope. I went over to the dark side.
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Click to collapse
I still have my Mate 9 as a backup phone. I've always kept a backup for many years. I went way over to the dark side from the M9. I got a iPhone 7 Plus.

I cannot even think to replace my Mate 9. It's rock solid device with amazing performance and battery. I will stay on the bright side. :angel:

My partner got the s8+.
The screen is amazing.
Mate 9 is faster and smoother and battery lasts longer. It can take better photos if you know what you're doing - but the s8 just takes excellent photos snap after snap.
I bought the Mi6 Pro. Fastest of the bunch. But is it quick. And smooth. And great camera. Not so good MIUI, and small screen size.

ekerbuddyeker said:
Went to play with it again side by side. S8 screen is better and surprisingly, the sound is much clearer on the s8. But I miss the mate camera. I took indoor pictures side by side and really, you can't see any difference.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree with this. I have both phones and the Galaxy s8 speaker is one of the worst I've heard in awhile. It's subjective of course, but I think because they went with ip68 they had to make changes with the bottom firing speaker. I much prefer the richness of the mate 9 stereo sound even though the ear piece output is pretty weak.

I sold my mate 9 and bought an S8+. Speaker is terrible and general use of the phone was mediocre at best. The battery was truly shocking.
Ended up selling it and buying a oneplus 5. Battery life was very good, speaker was better but the jelly effect on the screen was bad once you noticed it.
Long story short I bought another mate 9 (128gb 6gb ram) and I should never have sold it in the first place. After using both the S8+ and oneplus 5 the mate 9 is just so much better. Going to take alot for me to change from this again,probably only a mate 10.

kolembo said:
My partner got the s8+.
The screen is amazing.
Mate 9 is faster and smoother and battery lasts longer. It can take better photos if you know what you're doing - but the s8 just takes excellent photos snap after snap.
I bought the Mi6 Pro. Fastest of the bunch. But is it quick. And smooth. And great camera. Not so good MIUI, and small screen size.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm in doubt between these two devices: M9 and Mi6.
Which is best on cell strength, camera and loudspeaker?
Sent from my LG-H990 using Tapatalk

I tried the Pixel 2 xl

Hi all,
Well as the title says I recently bought the Pixel 2 xl and put the mate 9 in to retirement....... For only 5 days !!
I can honestly say if you are toying with buying one don't bother. The mate 9 is an awesome phone which excels in many ways against the pixel. Yes the pixel is buttery smooth with a great camera but that's about it. Definitely not 900 pounds better than the mate 9 so it's going back to Google tomorrow.
I won't bore you with details unless you want me to but be happy in the fact that the latest and greatest android phone ain't all that.
Happily back using the mate 9 now and contemplating the mate 10 pro.

Didgedeem said:
Hi all,
Well as the title says I recently bought the Pixel 2 xl and put the mate 9 in to retirement....... For only 5 days !!
I can honestly say if you are toying with buying one don't bother. The mate 9 is an awesome phone which excels in many ways against the pixel. Yes the pixel is buttery smooth with a great camera but that's about it. Definitely not 900 pounds better than the mate 9 so it's going back to Google tomorrow.
I won't bore you with details unless you want me to but be happy in the fact that the latest and greatest android phone ain't all that.
Happily back using the mate 9 now and contemplating the mate 10 pro.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Been pretty content with the Mate 9, tried other phones but cant back this one down, sure it may be older than some newer phones (IE Pixel 2, S8 etc) but its still an excellent phone, from software to the hardware, i think Huawei out did themselves on this one, Mate 10, ehh idk I'll wait for like the Mate 11 or something.

XERO_Racer said:
Been pretty content with the Mate 9, tried other phones but cant back this one down, sure it may be older than some newer phones (IE Pixel 2, S8 etc) but its still an excellent phone, from software to the hardware, i think Huawei out did themselves on this one, Mate 10, ehh idk I'll wait for like the Mate 11 or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I had it to do over with, I'd probably would went with the Pixel 2 XL or the S8+ or the Note 8. The US version of the Mate 9 hasn't seen a single update since April 5th. Pretty lame of Huawei if ask me. Not a good way to break into the US market.

XERO_Racer said:
Been pretty content with the Mate 9, tried other phones but cant back this one down, sure it may be older than some newer phones (IE Pixel 2, S8 etc) but its still an excellent phone, from software to the hardware, i think Huawei out did themselves on this one, Mate 10, ehh idk I'll wait for like the Mate 11 or something.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have any particular issues with the mate 10 pro apart from the lack of expandable memory and headphone jack.?
I must admit I was mildly underwhelmed when it was launched, but for the money it offers a lot in comparison to the pixel 2 xl.

Thunderbolt69 said:
I had it to do over with, I'd probably would went with the Pixel 2 XL or the S8+ or the Note 8. The US version of the Mate 9 hasn't seen a single update since April 5th. Pretty lame of Huawei if ask me. Not a good way to break into the US market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Disappointing yes that they lack the updates but to me it doesnt affect me as much, never had a single problem with this device, on occasions the fingerprint reader wouldnt just work and i had to re register the print
Didgedeem said:
Do you have any particular issues with the mate 10 pro apart from the lack of expandable memory and headphone jack.?
I must admit I was mildly underwhelmed when it was launched, but for the money it offers a lot in comparison to the pixel 2 xl.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, I just love the fact that the Mate 9 was already good enough as it is, while retaining a headphone jack and the expandable memory, which is a big plus in my books, and also that on the non pro version of the 10 that they moved the fingerprint reader to the front instead of the back which was really great

Which phone would you buy after a Mate 8?

Hi
About 2 years ago I bought my mate 8 on a business trip in Guangzhou/China. I loved the phone, I did not rebrand it, because I liked it to get faster updates and could live with most of the chinese textes. In two weeks I travel again to china and it's time for a new phone. Not because my mate 8 is not good enough anymore, I still love it, but my son want's a phone and I planed to give him mine and I buy a new one for my self as a christmas gift.
Unfortuantely it's hard to decide which phone should be my next daily driver. The following phones are on my list:
- Mate 10 or Mate 10 pro
- Mi Mix 2
- Oneplus 5t
Each of this phones have advantages and disadvantages. I like MIUI, therefore the Mi Mix 2 would be a good choice, but the camera is not so good. I like the stability of the Mate series, but EMUI is not really my favorit, but the camera seams to be very good. The Oneplus 5t has a nice UI as well and also the camera seams not to bad.
Which phone would you choose?
Mike

CoolMike said:
Hi
About 2 years ago I bought my mate 8 on a business trip in Guangzhou/China. I loved the phone, I did not rebrand it, because I liked it to get faster updates and could live with most of the chinese textes. In two weeks I travel again to china and it's time for a new phone. Not because my mate 8 is not good enough anymore, I still love it, but my son want's a phone and I planed to give him mine and I buy a new one for my self as a christmas gift.
Unfortuantely it's hard to decide which phone should be my next daily driver. The following phones are on my list:
- Mate 10 or Mate 10 pro
- Mi Mix 2
- Oneplus 5t
Each of this phones have advantages and disadvantages. I like MIUI, therefore the Mi Mix 2 would be a good choice, but the camera is not so good. I like the stability of the Mate series, but EMUI is not really my favorit, but the camera seams to be very good. The Oneplus 5t has a nice UI as well and also the camera seams not to bad.
Which phone would you choose?
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mate 10 or V30 are the only real choices
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk

Leo_83 said:
Mate 10 or V30 are the only real choices
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Battery, battery, battery! screen size/resolution, update history, build quality, CPU/RAM, XDA support, price point.. probably in that order.
I'd never go backwards in terms of battery life. Everything else would then be considered.
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk

HTC u11 plus.

CoolMike said:
Hi
About 2 years ago I bought my mate 8 on a business trip in Guangzhou/China. I loved the phone, I did not rebrand it, because I liked it to get faster updates and could live with most of the chinese textes. In two weeks I travel again to china and it's time for a new phone. Not because my mate 8 is not good enough anymore, I still love it, but my son want's a phone and I planed to give him mine and I buy a new one for my self as a christmas gift.
Unfortuantely it's hard to decide which phone should be my next daily driver. The following phones are on my list:
- Mate 10 or Mate 10 pro
- Mi Mix 2
- Oneplus 5t
Each of this phones have advantages and disadvantages. I like MIUI, therefore the Mi Mix 2 would be a good choice, but the camera is not so good. I like the stability of the Mate series, but EMUI is not really my favorit, but the camera seams to be very good. The Oneplus 5t has a nice UI as well and also the camera seams not to bad.
Which phone would you choose?
Mike
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
mate 10 pro is best in battery, screen size and preinstalled software (oreo). however, it lacks a headphone jack and sd card slot and the 6" screen is actually smaller than the mate 8 due to different ratio (18:9 vs. 16:9). also, if the mate 8 is any indication, huaweis update policy is a bit lackluster...
mi mix 2 is king when it comes to small bezels, however screen size and battery capacity are not acceptable. no idea about miui, from what ive seen its quite similar to emui though. just hope that xiaomi is a bit better than huawei when it comes to android support of their phones.
OP5T would ne king in terms of pricing and xda dev support. however, since the OP left his mate 8 stock, this will probably not be a valued point in this regard...
out of the above, i would probably go for either mate 10 pro or OP5T. however, ive been eyeing the mi max 2 because of its humongous screen size and battery lets see what 2018 will bring to the table, ill keep my mate 8 until then...
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-AL10 using Tapatalk

LG V30!!

I bought the Mate 9 about 3 months ago. The 8, replaced my 2....
I'll probably get the 10, about this time next year. (I sell them after I buy a new one).

I was thinking about Xiaomi Mi Mix 1 not 2
SD 821 is still a beast , 6.4 inches in a 6 inch body is appealing , humongous battery , and I don't really care much about the camera , the only thing that worries me about the Mi Mix is the phone speaker which is impeded in the screen itself and has mixed reviews about it , some good some bad
Sorry for the bad English ...

i did it, made the plunge and got myself the mi max 2. not regretting it! already used to the huge phone size, the 6.44 inch screen is absolutely lovely and the battery life...insane. seriously.
i got lineage os 14.1 installed based on android 7.1.2 and my first battery charge is heading towards 24h sot (yep, you read correctly, thats twenty-four!!!! hours of screen on time ) currently, im at 42% battery and already have 14h8min sot tucked under my belt... so thats around 24.4h sot for 100% charge
Sent from my Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Oxygen) using Tapatalk

jbmc83 said:
i did it, made the plunge and got myself the mi max 2. not regretting it! already used to the huge phone size, the 6.44 inch screen is absolutely lovely and the battery life...insane. seriously.
i got lineage os 14.1 installed based on android 7.1.2 and my first battery charge is heading towards 24h sot (yep, you read correctly, thats twenty-four!!!! hours of screen on time ) currently, im at 42% battery and already have 14h8min sot tucked under my belt... so thats around 24.4h sot for 100% charge
Sent from my Xiaomi Mi Max 2 (Oxygen) using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Booooooo we will miss you around here.
I was also going to upgrade my phone this fall but mostly because I dropped my Mate 8 in water last spring. Battery and screen took some damage but after replacing the battery it has been running like a charm.
I actually went so far as to having the Mate 10 in the hand before my gf stole it from me so now I will wait for next year's flagships. Very curious about OnePlus 6 hopefully with fingerprintscanner under the screen and Treble. Also the new line from Sony, who is finally getting a new design looks very interesting, the leaked renders with front facing speaker looked exactly what I am looking for.
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk

Leo_83 said:
Booooooo we will miss you around here.
I was also going to upgrade my phone this fall but mostly because I dropped my Mate 8 in water last spring. Battery and screen took some damage but after replacing the battery it has been running like a charm.
I actually went so far as to having the Mate 10 in the hand before my gf stole it from me so now I will wait for next year's flagships. Very curious about OnePlus 6 hopefully with fingerprintscanner under the screen and Treble. Also the new line from Sony, who is finally getting a new design looks very interesting, the leaked renders with front facing speaker looked exactly what I am looking for.
Sent from my HUAWEI NXT-L29 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yep, its definitely about time that sony trimmed their HUGE bezels around the screen
btw, also keep an eye out for the xiaomi mi max 3, it will follow the new 18:9 display ratio trend, but sporting thin bezels, 7 inch (!!!) screen diagonal and a whopping 5500 mAh battery. could very well be the perfect successor phone for us mate 8 lovers plus, itll also sport upgrade performance with potential SD 630/660
links:
https://www.xda-developers.com/xiaomi-mi-max-3-rumors/
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Xiaom...5500-mAh-battery-Snapdragon-660.274350.0.html
https://www.gsmarena.com/xiaomi_mi_max_3-8963.php