The Mate 20 Pro for $470 is exceptional value, and you don’t have to worry about no Google apps nonsense.
Available currently on Amazon, this Huawei Mate 20 Pro deal should definitely be on your radar if you’re looking for a new phone. I’ve been using a Mate 20 Pro for a full year as my daily driver, and I’ve been loving it. It’s fast, it’s powerful, the battery holds up great, and the camera is extremely versatile. It also looks pretty damn great, especially if you pick up the Emerald Green version.
The Mate 20 Pro is also an excellent stand-in for its successor, the Mate 30 Pro. I tried both extensively, and the differences between them are not that big. You might prefer the Mate 30 Pro’s more eye-catching design and futuristic waterfall display, but the Mate 20 Pro does come with a killer selling point: full, pre-loaded Google apps.
This Mate 20 Pro model runs EMUI 9.1 (based on Android 9) and because it was released before the US blacklisted Huawei, it comes with the Play Store and all the Google apps you may need. The only potential issue is long-term updates and support – for now, we just don’t know if, and for how long, will Huawei be able to continue to update this phone. Regardless, you will still receive updates for your Google apps and any other apps you install from the Play Store.
This is a new device, but there are some caveats – as this is an international model, it doesn’t support CDMA carriers – i.e. Verizon and Sprint. It also doesn’t have any warranty in the US.
At $470, the Mate 20 Pro is half of its original list price, and a great value for anyone who prefers an older flagship over a current midranger. For comparison, the Note 9 (international model, no warranty) currently sells for $643.