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Huawei’s Mate 90 RS Ultimate Design has revealed its luxury ambitions. Patterned Kunlun glass and a reflective metal frame give it a decorative finish, with plenty to look at before the screen is even turned on.
It comes in red, white and black, starting at 12,999 yuan in China, about $1,940, for 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Hiding all that decoration under a simple case feels like an expensive way to miss the point.
What makes the design stand out
The rear panel uses what Huawei calls Dynamic Lattice Kunlun Glass, paired with a pattern inspired by climbing. This treatment adds visual complexity to the back, while polished titanium turns the shine around the edges.
Huawei says the glass over the screen resists scratches and drops while reducing reflections. The phone also has 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 is not covered by the warranty.
At around 248 grams and 8.4mm thick, the Mate 90 RS is a substantial device. Anyone who prefers a lighter phone should weigh this consideration alongside the decorative finish.
The question is whether this styling deserves its place in the bag every day. At this price, the design must remain attractive long after the initial novelty wears off.
What sits under the styling
A 6.9-inch dual-layer OLED screen supports an adaptive refresh rate of 1Hz to 120Hz. The phone also packs a 6,800mAh battery, with wireless 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 is a lot of resolution on paper, but photo quality needs independent testing before these numbers become a reason to buy.
What should buyers know
Sales in China began on October 1. Huawei’s China listing doesn’t give a US release date or official US pricing, so the dollar figure above is just a currency conversion.
The Mate 90 RS runs HarmonyOS 7.0. Before importing it, potential buyers should check support for their essential apps and compatibility with their carrier.