Huawei gives the Mate 90 RS a luxury makeover that’s anything but subtle

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Huawei’s Mate 90 RS Ultimate Design wears its luxury ambitions openly. Patterned Kunlun glass and a reflective metal frame give it an ornamental finish, with plenty to look at before the screen even turns on.

It comes in red, white, and black, starting at 12,999 yuan in China, roughly $1,940, for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Hiding all that decoration under a plain case feels like an expensive way to miss the point.

What makes the design stand out

The rear panel uses what Huawei calls dynamic grating Kunlun glass, paired with a pattern inspired by climbing upward. That treatment adds visual complexity to the back, while polished titanium carries the shine around the edges.

Huawei says the glass over the screen resists scratches and drops while reducing reflections. The phone also carries IP68 and IP69 ratings, with Huawei specifying immersion testing at 6 meters for 30 minutes and resistance to hot, high-pressure water jets. Liquid damage isn’t covered by the warranty.

At approximately 248 grams and 8.4mm thick, the Mate 90 RS is a substantial device. Anyone who prefers a lighter phone should weigh that consideration alongside the decorative finish.

The question is whether that styling earns its place in a pocket every day. At this price, the design needs to remain appealing long after the initial novelty wears off.

What sits beneath the styling

A 6.9-inch dual-layer OLED screen supports an adaptive refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz. The phone also packs a 6,800mAh battery, with wired charging at up to 100W when paired with compatible Huawei equipment.

Its built-in camera system includes a 200MP telephoto camera with approximately 4x optical zoom. There’s plenty of resolution on paper, but photo quality needs independent testing before those numbers become a reason to buy.

What should buyers know

Sales in China began October 1. Huawei’s China listing doesn’t provide a US release date or official US pricing, so the dollar figure above is only a currency conversion.

The Mate 90 RS runs HarmonyOS 7.0. Before importing it, prospective buyers should check support for their essential apps and compatibility with their carrier.