This is the first article on our site about a phone from Huawei and it’s a fairly impressive one at that. The Huawei Mate 9 was introduced by the company in September 2016. Very impressive specs that rival (and surpass) some of the best out there. An impressive 20 MP rear camera and 8 MP front camera with 64GB of memory. That’s impressive for the price.
To get ready for the mount discussion, lets check the dimensions of the phone. The Huawei Mate 9 sports a 5.9 inch diagonal display so it’s a bit larger than most smartphones. The Huawei Mate 9 measures in at 6.18 x 3.11 x 0.31 inches (156.9 x 78.9 x 7.9 mm) and weighs 5.54 ounces. These are the all important measurements to keep in mind for selecting a mount.
For those with any custom mounts which features a cradle specifically made for a different phone, these aren’t going to fit. For those that have purchased a universal mount to hold your older phone, it may not open wide enough to fit this larger phone. If you find the holder does not fit, many universal mount manufacturers offer options to upgrade your cradle to a larger one. Be sure to add the size of a case to these stock measurements as you might be approaching 4 inches in width. Many universal cradles only open to 3 inches.
Speaking of cases, buy a good case for it. I have always liked the Otterbox Defender series which we reviewed here, but there are lots of others. Don’t risk it. A single drop on ceramic tile that results in a broken display will cost way more than a good case. If you think insurance will cover you, think twice. Insurance policies purchased from your carrier carry a deductible and for newer more expensive phones that can be $169 on up. So to add insult to injury, you will not only be paying a monthly insurance premium, but you then pay the deductible. You can read our article on phone insurance here.
Mount Analysis
Let’s move to the Huawei Mate 9 mount discussion. We’re going to stick with mounts that include expandable cradles that will be large enough to hold the Huawei Mate 9 with or without a case or skin. This means we will go with holders that open wide enough to fit this phone, and add some more space for a well made case.
For the car, give the location of your mount some thought. There are lots of places to mount your Huawei Mate 9. While the windshield is a go-to place for many, some states don’t allow that location. A few of those states are discussed in this article.
Mount Recommendations
If you’re good with the windshield, you may use that location with a good GPS app such as Waze. This is a big phone so you need a big cradle. The Arkon Ultra Slim Grip Suction Mount is one of our favorite windshield suction cup mounts. This mount has an expandable cradle that expands to almost 7 inches when using the longest set of legs. Your phone will be held from the top and bottom. This will fit your phone with or without a case. The mount comes with an adhesive dash plate so that you can attach to the mount to your dash as well as your windshield. The phone can rotate 360 degrees into portrait or landscape using this mount.
You can’t possibly use all the cup holders in today’s vehicles, so use one as a mount point. Consider the iKross Car Cup Holder Phone Mount. The cup holder base is expandable from 2.7 to 3.7 inches. It will fit almost any vehicle’s cup holder. There is a 12″ flexible stem that allows bending of the mount to the right angle for the driver or passenger. The phone can rotate 360 degrees into portrait or landscape and is easy to insert and remove. The expandable cradle opens to 8 inches so it will fit your phone with or without a case or skin.
A vent mount is another good choice for a Huawei Mate 9. The center vents are likely the best location. The Andobil Car Air Vent Mount is one that we have been recommending lately. That’s the one that is in the photo that accompanies our article.
The Andobil mount can be used to hold a Huawei Mate 9 with or without a case or skin. It has a ball and socket so the cradle swivels into any orientation. This mount will work on practically any vent. The included cradle opens to 3.75 inches.
One important thing to mention. The camera and finger print scanner are located in the upper middle on the back of the phone. This provides a bit of a challenge on a motorcycle as we find a lot of motorcycle owners like to video their ride. You need a cradle that will not block the camera and / or press the power button. You need a cradle that is going to grip the Huawei Mate 9 in the middle and below that button. So a lot of the mounts we normally recommend for a smartphone on a motorcycle aren’t going to work well with the Huawei Mate 9 because we don’t want to block the camera or finger print scanner.
Go with the TechMount TechGripper cradle. The TechGripper Handlebar Mount Kit combines a mount with the holder which opens to 4 inches. The mount is metal and coated in black. It fits handlebar diameters from 7/8 to 1.25 inches so it covers the majority of motorcycle models that can accommodate a handlebar mount. The mount takes up .75 inches of handlebar real estate and the phone sits somewhat close to the handlebar. Installation of the mount is completed with a small hex wrench which is provided. This is a nice feature that helps prevent theft of the mount since most thieves aren’t walking around with a set of hex wrenches. Installation is easy and you should be able to do this yourself. We always recommend tethering your device for added security.