A month with a smartphone. Review of the Huawei P20 Pro smartphone: three cameras and endless ambitions. Wi-Fi RTT technology support

Externally, this smartphone stands out with its “tall” screen with a neat “notch” on top. As befits a new flagship, it has a powerful processor with a neural computing module that supports artificial intelligence functions at the hardware level. It is also worth noting the updated camera duo with Leica optics, good battery life, high-speed charging and the latest version of the operating system. Android systems with a branded launcher. In this review, we'll look at the advantages and disadvantages of Huawei's new compact flagship, the P20.

The third largest (after Samsung and Apple) smartphone manufacturer in the world - the Chinese - at an event in Paris, their new flagship devices of the P series. The P20 and P20 Pro models (their sales in Russia began in mid-April) were equipped with “wiser” ones, thanks to artificial intelligence functions ( AI), cameras. From ours you can find out how its camera works and why it outperforms the cameras in the current flagship devices of its main competitors. But the smaller P20 has somewhat more modest shooting resources. In addition, it is inferior to the P20 Pro in a number of parameters such as the degree of protection of the case, the amount of RAM, the capacity of the built-in battery, etc. However, all this had a positive effect on its price.

Huawei P20 review: technical specifications

• Model: EML-L29С
• OS: Android 8.1.0 (Oreo) with EMUI 8.1 shell
• Processor: 8-core 64-bit HiSilicon processor Kirin 970, (4 cores ARM Cortex-A73, 2.36 GHz + 4 cores ARM Cortex-A53, 1.8 GHz), i7 coprocessor, NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit), HiAI architecture
• Graphics subsystem: ARM Mali-G72 MP12
• RAM: 4 GB (LPDDR4X)
• Storage memory: 128 GB (UFS 2.1)
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.2 LE, USB Type-C(USB 2.0, OTG) for charging/syncing, NFC
• Screen: capacitive touchscreen, RGBW, 5.8-inch diagonal, resolution 2244x1080 pixels (18.7:9), brightness 770 nits, pixel density per inch 428 ppi
• Main camera: matrix - 12 MP (RGB, f/1.8) + 20 MP (B/W, f/1.6), predictive autofocus (phase, laser, contrast, depth of field measurement), dual two-tone flash, super slow-motion video 720p@ 960 fps, hybrid zoom 2x
• Front camera: 24 MP matrix, f/2.0 aperture, fixed focus
• Network: 2G, 3G (HSPA+, up to 42 Mbit/s), LTE Cat. 13 (up to 400 Mbit/s)
• SIM card operating mode: Dual SIM Dual Standby (DSDS)
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS/BDS, A-GPS
• Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, magnetometer, barometer, light and proximity sensors, fingerprint scanner
• Battery: non-removable, lithium polymer, 3,400 mAh, supports Huawei SuperCharge fast charging (4.5 V/5 A)
• Case features: dust and moisture resistance (IP53)
• Colors: black, midnight blue
• Dimensions: 149.1x70.8x7.65 mm
• Weight: 165 grams

Huawei P20 review: design, ergonomics

Unlike its predecessor (our review), the frame of the P20 is a metal-glass “sandwich”.

Very beautiful, but not very practical.

Firstly, the body turned out to be quite slippery, which is fraught with its sudden “escape” from the palm. Secondly, the glass, meticulously collecting all the prints, quickly takes on an untidy appearance. And thirdly, minor damage (scratches, chips) can greatly damage the flagship exterior.

This is confirmed by the protective film that initially covers the entire front surface of the smartphone, as well as the included silicone clip case for the rear panel. By the way, the P20 reached Russia only in two colors - black and midnight blue. So, hiding them under a cover will not be as offensive as a device in a more spectacular (gradient) color, when, for example, pink turns into gold, and the colors shimmer when the viewing angle changes.

Generally speaking, the design of the case with a rounded metal frame and a glass back panel is in many ways reminiscent of the iPhone X, as is the shape of the protrusion on the back panel, under which the rear photo module is hidden.

Borrowed elements also include an optional dark niche at the top of the image on the screen, where the speaker, front camera and sensors are located. In the iPhone X it is usually called a “unibrow”, but in the P20 it is more like a small neat “bang”, which in addition leaves much more space for icons on the notification bar. By the way, the similarities in the design even affected the width and thickness of the cases. So, for the P20 and iPhone X their values ​​are (70.8 mm versus 70.9 mm) and (7.65 mm versus 7.7 mm), respectively. The compactness of the 5.8-inch P20 owes much to the new aspect ratio of the screen - 18.7:9.

Unlike the older model, the P20 Pro, which can survive even a short (up to half an hour) immersion in water, the P20 can only be partially protected from dust (IP5X) and splashes (IPX3).

In the area of ​​the default “bangs”, they found shelter: a round speaker grille, a front camera lens, an LED indicator, as well as proximity and light sensors.

Occupies the space under the display physical button with a built-in fingerprint scanner, the touch surface of which allows it to be used for system navigation, replacing the traditional control panel with icons "Back", "Home" and " Recent Applications". About everyone alternative ways navigation is said just below.

On the right edge there are still very different sized volume rockers and a power/lock button with a red mark.

The left edge is occupied by a closed slot with a tray with two spaces intended for subscriber identification modules of the nanoSIM (4FF) format.

USB Type-C connector (supports USB interface 2.0) found itself at the bottom end, surrounded by decorative grilles, behind which lie a “multimedia” speaker and a “conversational” microphone. IN alternative mode USB Type-C is used to connect audio accessories (headphones, headsets, etc.) with the appropriate connector.

At the top end there is only a hole left for an additional microphone. As is already clear from the above, the P20 does not provide a 3.5 mm connector for an audio headset.

The lenses of the rear photo module are placed vertically at the top of the rear panel, closer to the left edge. Just below there was a place for a two-tone LED flash, as well as color temperature sensors and laser (infrared) autofocus. The main parameters of Leica optics - Summilux-H 1: 1.6/27 ASPH are also indicated there.

From the inscription at the bottom of the rear panel, which is also decorated with a small Huawei logo, you can find out the model number, company name and country of production.

The P20 smartphone can be controlled quite comfortably with one hand. If, without holding the device in your palm, you still cannot reach the top edge of the 5.8-inch screen, you should use the “Mini Window” option in the “Control” section settings.

Huawei P20 review: screen

Unlike the older model, which received an AMOLED display, the P20 was equipped with a 5.8-inch RGBW FullView screen (aspect ratio 18.7:9), which at FullHD+ resolution (2244x1080 pixels) provides a pixel density per inch of 428 ppi . Recall that on a “correct” RGBW matrix, a fourth subpixel of white (W) color is added to each RGB cell. This allows for sufficient brightness with reduced power consumption, and, in addition, improves color reproduction and image contrast, bringing it closer to OLED screens. At the presentation of the P20, the maximum display brightness was announced - 770 nits, which, as it turned out, is 23% more than that of the iPhone X.

The results of the AnTuTu Tester program showed that the touch capacitive screen will be able to recognize up to ten simultaneous presses. It is proposed to adjust the brightness level manually or use the "Auto" option. By using color wheel With two presets ("Warm" and "Cold") in the "Screen" settings, it is easy to change the color temperature - make the images on the screen warmer or, conversely, colder. Color range One of two options will help you adjust it: “Vivid” (DCI-P3) or “Normal” (sRGB).

You can change the size of interface elements (images and symbols) in the so-called “view mode”. In the settings it is easy to change the Full HD+ (2244x1080 pixels) resolution to a lower one - HD+ (1496x720 pixels). At the same time, choosing the “Smart Resolution” option has a positive effect on energy saving. The vision protection mode, which can also be activated according to a schedule, is designed to relieve eye fatigue. Intensity blue filter(“color temperature”) is self-adjustable.

The settings allow you to switch between two screen styles - regular and with a separate application menu. In the latter case, there is no need to place all program icons on desktops. New option, called “Controller” for some reason and by default organizing a “bang” (a dark niche) in the image at the top of the screen, also allows you to hide (“comb back”) this dashing “forelock”. But the option to increase the sensitivity of the touch layer for working with gloves is available in the “Management” section. Note that the P20 screen, in addition to tempered glass (manufacturer unknown), is also protected by a special film.

Huawei P20 review: cameras

The cameras in the P20 and P20 Pro truly stand out from other flagship devices. In addition, at the Huawei presentation it was reported that the P20 camera received the highest score (after the P20 Pro, of course) for photo quality and overall camera quality from DxO Mark analysts - 107 and 102 points, respectively.

The new smartphone boasts an updated camera duo, created in collaboration with Leica Camera AG. The rear photo module with 12-megapixel color and 20-megapixel monochrome (without color filters) sensors was equipped with two lenses with aspherical Summilux-H lenses with the same equivalent focal length (27 mm) and different apertures (f/1.6 and f/1.8) . At the same time, on a 1/2.3-inch sensor, the pixel size reaches 1.55 microns (larger than the Galaxy S9+ or iPhone X), which allows the camera to capture more light without losing detail. To improve the quality of color rendering, a color temperature sensor is used. Focusing is taken care of by the so-called predictive 4D autofocus, which includes laser, phase and contrast methods, as well as depth of field measurement. Predictability (predictiveness) consists of predicting the direction of movement of an object, which allows you not to let it out of focus. The maximum resolution of color images is 3968x2976 pixels (12 MP, 4:3), and the maximum resolution of black and white images (Monochrome mode, 20 MP, 4:3) is 5120x3840 pixels.

The front camera, based on a 24-megapixel sensor, has a wide-angle lens with a fixed focus and f/2.0 aperture. The maximum resolution of a selfie in a 4:3 ratio is 5632x4224 pixels. The settings include the use of decoration and bokeh effects. But that is not all. Support for intelligent functions gives you plenty of room to experiment with self-portraits, including studio lighting simulation.

The front photo module saves video in HD resolution (1280x720 pixels)@30 fps. In turn, for the rear camera duo, the frame rate for Full HD (1980x1080 pixels) can be increased to 60 fps. To record video in 4K quality (3840x2160 pixels)@30 fps, a standard (H.264/AVC) and a more advanced codec (H.265/HEVC) are offered. Additional modes include interval ("Time Lapse", 1280x720 pixels), as well as slow motion ("Slowdown", 1080p@120 fps, 720p@240 fps and 720p@960 fps). Note that an event that occurred in a quarter of a second and was recorded at a frame rate of 960 fps will last 8 seconds (30 fps).

The Camera app interface traditionally uses Leica's signature font. At the bottom of the viewfinder there are icons for the main modes - “Aperture” (shooting with emulation of a “wide” aperture up to f/0.95), “Night”, “Portrait”, “Photo”, “Video”, “Pro” and “More” ( transition to additional modes), including HDR, “Filter”, “Scanner”, etc. The difference in the number of megapixels between the sensors is used for 2x (so-called hybrid) zoom, scaling the image without losing quality. When combined with conventional digital zoom, the magnification reaches 10x.

The icons at the top of the viewfinder allow you to select the flash mode, go to contextual settings, and also activate the options “Film Effect” (“Normal”, “Bright”, “Faded”) and “Live Photos” (short videos that allow you to see what happened in the frame before and after shooting). In the "Pro" mode, you can independently adjust the exposure metering method, ISO value, shutter speed, exposure compensation level, focusing method and white balance. In this case, it is convenient to save pictures for post-processing in RAW (DNG) format.

AI-based real-time scene and object recognition automatically sets optimal shooting parameters, including color rendering, to match the subject and lighting conditions. Now it promises to identify more than 500 different scenarios in 19 categories, selecting the optimal shooting parameters for each frame. The proprietary 6-axis image stabilization technology, called Huawei AIS (Artificial Intelligence Image Stabilization), also relies entirely on the “processor intelligence”, which helps make video clips with a frame rate of 960 fps and good photos at night. Examples of pictures from the duet rear cameras you can see .

Huawei P20 review: sound

The not very good news was the lack of stereo speakers on the P20. However, using the proprietary Music application, you can play high-quality tracks, for example, from FLAC or WAV files. As already noted, a 3.5 mm audio connector is also, alas, not provided on the P20 body. True, the kit includes required adapter and a headset with USB Type-C connection. To listen to music and recharge the battery at the same time, you will have to purchase special cable(on AliExpress it will cost about 100 rubles).

After turning on immersive surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology, you have access to playback options - “Smart”, “Movie” and “Music”, while for the latter mode you can use the built-in presets and a graphic equalizer. Let us remind you that Dolby Atmos technology does not operate with channels, but with so-called audio objects. The proprietary video player "Video" supports the new audio standard Dolby AC-4, the bit stream of which is capable of carrying channel audio, audio objects, or a combination of both. The smartphone comes pre-installed with a Horizon.mp4 test video clip with AC-4 audio encoding.

The Voice Recorder program saves recordings that can be tagged with regular and photo tags in M4A format files (2 channels: AAC-LC encoding, 48 KHz, variable bit depth).

It is worth noting that in the new P series smartphones, Huawei, together with Savitech, has implemented a new concept wireless transmission high-quality HWA (Hi-Res Wireless Audio) sound. For Bluetooth devices, they created the LHDC codec (Low latency and High-Definition audio Codec), which is said to exceed the standard SBC in transmission speed by almost three times (900 kbps versus 328 kbps). Let us recall that, for example, for aptX and aptX HD (24 bits/96 kHz) these values ​​are 384 kbps and 576 kbps, respectively. HWA has already been supported by well-known audio brands, including Audio-Technik, HiFiMan, iRiver, Onkyo, Pioneer, Sennheiser, TEAC, etc.

Huawei P20 review: hardware, performance

The basic hardware of the P20 is based on the HiSilicon Kirin 970 system-on-chip, which debuted back in (our review). The processor, which includes two quartets of cores (four ARM Cortex-A73, 2.4 GHz, and four Cortex-A53, 1.8 GHz), works in tandem with a graphics accelerator, a 12-core ARM Mali-G72 MP12. Wherein, key feature Kirin 970 has become a neural processing unit (NPU), thanks to which the artificial intelligence “balls” spin much faster. The processor supports applications with technologies machine learning, capable, for example, of recognizing objects when taking photographs, translating texts into several languages ​​in real time without an Internet connection, predicting user requests, optimizing performance in accordance with smartphone usage scenarios, etc.

On board the P20 carries 4 GB of RAM. Below are the results of the main tests.

TestingHuaweiP20 . Results in the AnTuTu benchmark

TestingHuaweiP20. Results in the GeekBench benchmark

Several things will help you visually evaluate the performance of your smartphone: pre-installed applications from Gameloft, collected in the "Games" folder (regular home screen style).

Of the 128 GB of installed internal memory (UFS 2.1 type), about 111 GB are available. Expand this storage with maps microSD memory impossible due to the lack of a corresponding slot. Support for USB-OTG technology allows you to connect flash drives to the device.

When two subscriber identification modules in nanoSIM format are installed simultaneously, they alternately work with one radio channel in DSDS (Dual SIM Dual Standby) mode. Fourth generation 4G networks are supported, including the 1800 MHz, 2600 MHz and 800 MHz frequency bands (b3, b7 and b20). The LTE Cat.13 (DL) communication standard allows 4G networks to reach speeds of up to 400 Mbit/s. The wireless communications suite also includes a dual-band Wi-Fi module 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 (BLE) and NFC.

In addition to using the Android Pay payment service, the NFC interface will be useful, for example, to find out the balance of the Troika transport card.

For coordination over cellular and Wi-Fi networks, the A-GPS mode will help. Satellite systems GPS, GLONASS and BDS are used for precise location determination and navigation.

Huawei P20 review: autonomy

Compared to its predecessor, the capacity of the non-removable battery in the P20 has increased slightly and amounted to 3,400 mAh (versus 3,200 mAh). Certified Charger Huawei SuperCharge (maximum power 22.5 VA) fills the battery halfway in less than half an hour.

The AnTuTu Tester test program showed a result of 8,070 points. According to the manufacturer, with a “full tank” the P20 will provide up to 13 hours of calls on a 3G network, or up to 16 hours of web surfing, or up to 75 hours of listening to music, or up to 16 hours of watching videos. At the same time, playing a set of videos in MP4 format (hardware decoding) and Full HD quality at full brightness every hour reduced the battery charge by approximately 8.7% (test for 7 hours).

In the settings of the "Battery" section, you can independently select the appropriate energy saving mode (including "Ultra"), manage the launch of applications in the background, and also take advantage of tips for optimizing energy consumption, etc.

Huawei P20 review: software features

The P20 smartphone runs the latest version of the Android 8.1.0 (Oreo) operating system, the interface of which is hidden behind the proprietary EMUI 8.1 shell. There are no noticeable differences from the EMUI 8.0 launcher, which is installed, for example, on (our review). Let us remind you that in the proprietary shell you can choose either the usual style of the working screen (all program shortcuts are collected on the desktops) or a style with a separate application menu (screen). Swipe with one finger from the top edge of the screen on the notification panel and quick settings opens the brightness adjustment slider and only five switches, but after swiping with two fingers you can immediately see the entire contents of this panel. Tapping and holding on the application icon leads to the appearance of an access menu (if supported) to frequently used functions.

To go to the home screen settings, you need to tap and hold, or directly pinch. Then it’s easy to change the grid of application icons, decide on the transition effect between screens, select required widget etc.

For system navigation, the settings offer three options: the usual virtual panel, as well as physical and on-screen navigation buttons. The order of the virtual panel icons ("Back", "Home" and "Recent applications") can be easily changed, as well as supplemented with a fourth one - to call the notification panel. Control functions can also be assigned to the capacitive pad of the fingerprint scanner. At the same time, a regular touch of it is equivalent to the action of the “Back” button, a touch and hold returns to the home screen, a horizontal swipe across the site (left or right) brings up a “deck” of recently used applications, and a swipe up from the bottom right edge of the screen calls up Google search. For the on-screen navigation button, which can be hidden, the control gestures are the same.

The settings suggest activating several movements to, for example, mute the sound, lower the ringer volume, answer a call, etc. In addition, you can use your knuckles to take screenshots, split the screen between two applications, and quickly launch the desired program.

To record a screencast (HD video from a smartphone screen), you again need to rely on your knuckles, or simultaneously press the power button and the volume rocker (to increase).

To quickly unlock your smartphone, you can register your face and/or up to five fingerprints. The manufacturer reminds that such protection, although convenient, is less reliable than, for example, a traditional PIN code or pattern key.

To translate speech and camera-scanned texts in real time without an Internet connection, we suggest using Microsoft application Translator, which is based on the capabilities of a processor with a neural computing module.

Huawei P20 review: purchase, conclusions

The new flagship model from Huawei is primarily captivated by its rich photo capabilities. Although we should not forget about the rest of this smartphone’s rather advanced hardware, including a powerful processor with a neural computing module. Indeed, thanks to him, the rear duo of Leica cameras with high aperture and the 24-megapixel front camera for selfies acquired advanced intelligent functions. The elongated body of the Huawei P20, following the fashion trend, was equipped with a “tall” screen with a neat small “bang”. Among other advantages of the flagship device, it is worth noting the certified fast charging Huawei SuperCharge, the NFC interface, as well as the latest version of Android 8.1 OS with the updated EMUI 8.1 launcher.

One can only complain that the younger flagship model has such poor moisture protection of the case, moreover, there is no slot for microSD memory cards, and, perhaps most importantly, there is no 3.5 mm connector for an audio headset.

In large retail chains, at the time of testing, Huawei P20 was asking 44,990 rubles, while the 5.8-inch Samsung Galaxy An S9 with 64 GB of storage would cost 15 thousand more (59,990 rubles). As a direct rival, of course, this is not an option. But for the same 44,990 rubles they offered, for example, OnePlus 5T. Compared to the Huawei P20, this famous “flagship killer” boasts quite powerful processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 8 GB of RAM, and also the presence of a 3.5 mm audio connector. After all, the advantage of a 6-inch AMOLED screen (if you do not take into account its economical power consumption) may seem controversial to some. Despite the generally good cameras, the OnePlus 5T is significantly inferior to the Huawei P20 in terms of photo capabilities.

Review results Huawei smartphone P20

Pros:

• Powerful processor with neural computing module
• "High" screen with "bangs"
• Dual Leica camera with high aperture
• 24MP selfie camera
• Certified fast charging Huawei SuperCharge
• Availability of NFC interface
• Latest version of Android 8.1 OS with updated EMUI 8.1 launcher

Minuses:

• Weak moisture protection of the case
• No microSD card slot
• Missing 3.5mm audio headset connector

Huawei has a very big influence in the smartphone market. This is a leading corporation in sales, whose main consumers live in China. But its products are widely known throughout the world.

Huawei makes both budget and flagship devices. Today we will make a description of Huawei P20 Lite. The model was included in the mid-budget price segment. The parameters of the Huawei P20 Lite smartphone are very close to the flagship ones - frameless screen, dual camera. Let's review the Huawei P20 Lite and see how the device is inferior to devices with a more expensive price tag.

The Huawei P20 Lite has specifications that are consistent with its price tag. A good processor, a high-quality screen and a good camera can outshine even some of the flagships of competing companies.

Display	5.84”, FullHD+ (2280×1080), 432 pixels per inch, automatic brightness control, 19:9 aspect ratio, LTPS TFT matrix, brightness 420 cd/m2, contrast ratio 1100:1, 10 touches
CPU	Huawei Kirin 659, 8 cores (4xARM Cortex-A53 up to 2.36 GHz and 4xARM Cortex-A53 up to 1.7 GHz), 64 bit, 16 nm
Graphic arts	ARM Mali-T830 MP2
Built-in memory	64 GB
RAM	4 GB
Memory card	micro-SD up to 256 GB instead of a second SIM card
Main camera	16/2 MP, f/2.2 aperture, focal length 26 mm; autofocus
Front-camera	16 MP, f/2.0 aperture, focal length 27 mm; no autofocus
Battery	Li-Pol 3000 mAh
operating system	Android 8.0, EMUI 8.0 shell
Interfaces	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.2 (aptX, aptX HD), USB Type-C 2.0 OTG, NFC GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Sensors	Fingerprint sensor, Light sensor, Distance sensor, Accelerometer, E-compass, Gyroscope
Dimensions	148×71x7.4 mm
Weight	145 g

Equipment

Quite often, in the box with a new phone you can only find a charger and an instruction manual. All other important accessories for using the device must be purchased separately. But in the case of Huawei P20 Light, we get, so to speak, an expanded set, namely:

• The smartphone itself;
• Charger;
• Headphones;
• Needle for SIM card tray.

Design

We'll start the review with the design. The smartphone has dimensions of 148.6×71.2×7.4 mm. These parameters allow you to use the gadget with one hand. The device weighs 145 grams. Considering the size of the device, we can say that this is small. You can find heavier smartphones with the same dimensions.

The fingerprint scanner is located on the back, which looks quite nice, but in terms of convenience it can be controversial. Some users prefer the fingerprint sensor to be on the front panel.

The downside to the design is the protruding main camera. Because of this position, it will get scratched every time if you place the phone with the back panel on the table. This forces you to buy cases that will make the camera not stick out so much.

On the right side of the phone there is a power button and a volume rocker. The audio jack is located on the bottom end. A definite plus is its presence. For the sake of subtlety, many manufacturers, and many others, often neglect it. But many users often miss it. Nearby is a USB-C connector. Nowadays this is already the norm, but micro-USB can often be found in “state sector” devices.

The body is made of metal and glass. Only the frames in the case are metal, the front and back panels are glass. It looks very nice, but such a smartphone will not survive a fall on the asphalt. It is recommended to immediately put a case on your phone.

The front panel deserves special attention. The device is considered frameless. They are very thin here. This feature allows the screen to occupy 80.5% of the front panel.

The appearance of the device is quite attractive. He is compared to Apple iPhone X. The Huawei P20 Lite Midnight Black smartphone has a very strict and brutal appearance. This color is more suitable for men. If you like brighter, softer colors, there's Blue Ultramarine. For girls there is a pink version. In terms of appearance, the device is very beautiful, and you can’t argue with that.

The most significant drawback in the appearance of the device was the unibrow - a protrusion for the front camera, earpiece and light sensor. And it’s not even that it looks ugly; the applications are not optimized for it. If you leave full screen mode, the top frame will be large, and if you use full screen, there will be bugs.

Display

One of the advantages of this model is the large display. It has the same quality as many flagship devices. Its diagonal is 5.84 inches with an aspect ratio of 19:9. The screen is slightly extended upward, which has a positive effect on the ergonomics of the phone.

The resolution of the FullHD+ screen (2280×1080) is already standard for 2018. This doesn't put a lot of load on the processor, and it doesn't eat up a lot of charge. If you have problems with resolution, you can switch to HD+. This is necessary when there is a need to save battery power, or when there are lags in games. You can enable intelligent resolution switching, which will automatically adjust the number of pixels on the screen depending on the charge in the smartphone.

Out of the box, the screen is set to cool tones. But this will not be a problem, since it is possible to flexibly customize the display. You can change the temperature, contrast and more.

Well, it’s also worth saying about viewing angles. The display is very good, but there is still some distortion when tilted too far. But this is typical for any device.

Cameras

In terms of cameras, Huawei smartphones always surprise. Of course, you definitely shouldn’t expect any miracles from a mid-budget device, but the device will definitely please you with its good photo quality.

Let's start with the fact that the main camera consists of two modules - 16 and 2 megapixels. This is not so much when compared with other Huawei devices, but this optics still outperforms the devices of competing companies.

The dual camera is a must-have for bokeh photography. This mode is not implemented very well. In some cases, you can achieve a normal result, but generally the picture is too blurry, which spoils it.

Many users believe that the second 2 MP camera does not provide anything other than a bokeh effect, but this is not true. The second camera module is monochrome, it slightly increases the color quality. The camera has an f/2.2 aperture. This aperture allows you to take good photos in poor lighting. But there is another side to the coin - in strong lighting, the photo can be overexposed.

The front camera has a resolution of 16 MP. This is a lot even for some flagships, because in terms of the front-end, everything here is very competent. Aperture f/2.0. Almost no different from the aperture of the main camera, except that it’s a little worse for low-light photos.

Communications

Let's continue our review Huawei phone P20 Lite communication capabilities. This device has some interesting features that users will definitely like.

This smartphone has a Wi-Fi module installed that can receive a frequency of 5 GHz. This allows the device to work with 2, 3 and 4G. The device also has Bluetooth 4.2. This version has a high data reception speed, so the speed and quality of synchronization with a wireless headset is guaranteed.

I would also like to say something about NFC. This is a very useful feature that allows you to make payments conveniently. To pay for a product or service, you just need to bring the device to the terminal at a distance of a few centimeters.

The quality of conversations is affected by sound. The main speaker here is not of very high quality, so problems may arise when talking on speakerphone. But everything is fine with sound recording. The device has 2 microphones. The main microphone for recording is located on the bottom edge, and on the top edge there is an additional microphone for noise suppression.

A few words about SIM cards. There are 2 of them here. Since the slot is hybrid, you can put microSD card instead of a second SIM card.

Battery life and performance

First, let's talk a little about time battery life of this device. The gadget has a 3000 mAh battery. In terms of screen size and quality, it's very little. But there are a few facts to consider:

1. The device has the ability to switch quality from FullHD+ to HD+.
2. The company makes good processors that have a positive effect on battery life.

100% battery lasts for 7 hours of video, 5 hours of games, 4 hours of screen light.

In terms of performance, the device is very good. It has a Kirin 659 processor with 8 cores. The active quartet of cores operates at a frequency of 2.36 GHz, and the energy-efficient one operates at a frequency of 1.7 GHz. This allows the device to be powerful, but not waste a lot of charge in light applications.

In terms of gaming, the smartphone is fast, but sometimes you need to switch the screen quality to HD+ to get maximum performance.

The amount of RAM also affects performance. The smartphone in question has 4 GB of RAM, which is quite sufficient by 2018 standards.

There is 64 GB of permanent memory, but it can be expanded using micro-SD if necessary.

operating system

The operating system is an important aspect in a smartphone. It affects performance no less than hardware. That’s why it’s worth talking about this in detail.

This Huawei Lite runs on Android 8.0 which is the best on this moment. In addition, there is its own EMUI 8.0 shell. It is very different from the “naked” Android in its interface. In addition, some functions have been changed. Therefore, if you have never used Huawei smartphones, you will have to get used to the changes.

In terms of performance, the software shows good results, but there is still one drawback. This is due to the Kirin processor. The fact is that Google customized Android 8 for its own developments, which are equipped with a processor from Qualcomm. Of course, Huawei has improved the situation a little with its shell, but some echoes of this problem may reach you. If you see stuttering in games or in the interface, then know that this is not due to the processor, but due to poor optimization.

Why is he interesting?

At this point it is worth summarizing everything we said above and choosing the most interesting. Firstly, the device has a very high standards connection, which clearly has a positive effect on the ease of use. Secondly, there is an NFC module - a convenient “thing” in the modern world.

I would like to say a few more words about the scanners that are provided to unlock the device. To begin with, I would like to highlight the fast fingerprint scanner. Of course, this won’t surprise anyone now, since even cheap third-tier Chinese devices have fingerprint sensors. True, its location is controversial: some people find it convenient to have it in the back, while others prefer the front position. In this gadget, the fingerprint scanner is placed centrally on the back panel. The smartphone has a face scanner, which adds to its resemblance to the iPhone X. The face scan works through a selfie camera, that is, through a photo. The downside is that the technology does not work in poor lighting, but the “feature” is cool.

Well, a few words about the appearance. He is very handsome and stylish. The device is available in several colors, namely: black, blue and pink. There are other colors, but they are not available in Russia.

Price

After detailed analysis The device is worth talking a little about its cost. The smartphone is sold at a price that is very attractive, namely 25 thousand rubles. For this money we get a very high-quality screen that is similar to the flagship options, powerful technical specifications and very good firmware.

This device has many positive features that make its cost justified. Even underestimated when compared with Samsung or Apple products.

Bottom line

For a price tag of 25 thousand rubles we get very quality smartphone. But it is not suitable for everyone.

The device turned out to be very specific. Yes, this device is not a flagship, but it looks good compared to them. The fact is that today there are simply no applications that will use all the resources top smartphones, and overpaying for the characteristics of a flagship is simply stupid. The hardware that the P20 Lite has is more than enough to satisfy the user's needs. Therefore, this phone is suitable for those who want to buy a flagship, but are not ready to pay 40, 50 or more thousand rubles for it.

If you belong to the category of ordinary users who just need to make a few calls, surf social networks and watch a movie online, then you don’t need this model. The market is full of regular budget options that will suit your needs. If you do not need a heavy-duty device, then you can find devices that will cost tens of thousands of rubles less.

As we have already said, the smartphone is very specific and is clearly not suitable for everyone. If we talk about whether the device is worth the money, then yes, and reviews of the Huawei P20 Lite confirm this.

Huawei P10 It turned out, on the one hand, to be quite an interesting smartphone, but on the other, somehow passable and even slightly strange. You use it and everything seems cool and cool, but still something is not right. The build quality is excellent, the characteristics are excellent, the cameras take excellent pictures, but there is still something missing. In that review Let's try to figure out what it is.

Equipment

This is what I understand! You unpack the Huawei P10 and are amazed at how interesting everything is arranged inside: everything is thought out, laid out in its own boxes, and so on. It’s more impressive than unboxing the iPhone 7, and I was one of the first in the world to do this in September, so I know what I’m talking about.

Software shell

It is based, of course, on Android 7.0. Installed on top shell own development- EMUI 5.1.

It is very convenient, intuitive and functional. The user can customize a lot according to his taste and needs.

However, I personally don’t like literally all the themes pre-installed in the system. Strange wallpaper, adjusted to the background color of the icons, which are drawn in the style of Symbian OS of the late 2000s.

In general, I can only say one thing - EMUI 4.x looked much nicer. Nowadays there is literally nothing to choose from a heap of standard themes. Everything is kind of scanty, incomprehensible, some voluminous and ugly icons. In general, to find yourself suitable topic from an online catalogue, you will have to spend quite a lot of time. After all, custom shells look even worse.

All manufacturers are now trying to pack their devices with some interesting functions. For example, I really like cloning any third party program V MIUI shell from Xiaomi. Can use two different accounts in the original and in a copy of the utility.

Huawei made the same feature, only you can clone only two applications: WhatsApp and Facebook. Why other utilities cannot be replicated is unknown.

The review of the software in P10 turned out to be quite negative, but if you omit all these points, the EMUI 5.1 software add-on is simply wonderful. 99% of users will not have any problems with it, due to its logic and intuitiveness. Those who like to tinker with the settings will be able to do this to their heart's content, because in terms of functionality, EMUI has always been a leader.

Sound quality

There is only one external speaker, located to the right of the USB Type-C port. The playback quality through it is quite decent. It is moderately loud - above average, but most importantly it does not rattle or whistle at turned up volume. There are speakers with better sound quality and in significantly cheaper devices, but still.

The sound in the headphones is simply wonderful. Better than that, which is now considered the average standard among modern smartphones. With DTS enabled, the immersion becomes a little deeper and the soundstage a little richer.

I compared the reproduction of our hero with, who also did not fall from the sky. So, after P10, the sound on 1+3T is somewhat poor, a little flat - not that good, in general.

The built-in player is beautiful, but not very functional. No, of course, it can cleverly sort music into different tags and categories, and turn off using a timer, but there are no sound settings here. There is only the ability to turn on/off an enhancement called DTS.

If you turn your smartphone to horizontal orientation, then the player opens an interface very similar to the feature Apple killed some time ago called Cover Flow. It was a good idea and the guys from Huawei were great for picking it up.

Battery life

Declared work for 1.87 days. This is a very strange number. On the one hand, you can round it up to two days, but all this will be a theory that has little in common with reality.

In practice, a smartphone lives very little - one day of light in the off-season under a normal, quite normal load and 3 hours of display illumination. To be precise, 100% of the battery charge will disappear around 7-8 pm if you removed the device from charging around 8 am.

I inserted one SIM card, activated all possible wireless network, did not care about the detailed configuration of the smartphone's power consumption. And in this regard, by the way, the EMUI shell provides very decent tools. However, in my opinion, the user should not care about all these nuances, monitor the resource consumption of applications, and so on. The smartphone should do this for him, without limiting its owner in any way. In principle, P10 does this, but the output is still weak.

By the way, in the settings there is a function to set more low resolution, and the idea is that battery power should be saved. After its activation, however, nothing happens. Nothing at all.

But when you connect the charger, a beautiful animation is displayed on the screen. And there is nothing wrong with the fact that it is very similar to the similar one in Meizu smartphones.

Now about the most important thing, because Huawei also has its own “fast charging”, whose name is SuperCharge. The kit comes with a power supply of very impressive dimensions, the characteristics of which are as follows:

• 5V - 2A
• 4.5V - 5A
• 5V - 4.5A

The power, unfortunately, is not indicated, however, the smartphone is charged from 0 to 100% in 1 hour 49 minutes, and this is with a battery capacity of only 3,200 mAh.

Even close to calling it fast charging it is forbidden.

Bottom line

At the end of February, several flagships were presented at MWC. It was both, and, and, of course, our hero with his older brother P10 Plus. At first it seemed to me that the most interesting device would be from the Chinese. However, after the first impressions that all the new flagships left, my thoughts calmed down, everything fell into place and this is the conclusion I can draw.

Choosing between these three flagships, I would choose. Despite the fact that this is the strangest device in all senses, it stuck in my memory the most. The G6 is bright, fun, original and powerful. Sony is too strict for such men in suits (definitely not me), and Huawei is more suitable for Chinese fashionistas and fashionistas. Personally, what scares me the most about it is the design.

Despite the top-end hardware and luxurious cameras, I do not perceive the P10 as a flagship. And, by the way, it costs exactly that much. To be precise, in Europe they will ask for 649 euros, and the P10 Plus starts at 699 euros. Russia is among the first wave where new products will appear, and this will be March, by the way. True, it’s already the middle of the month, but we don’t know either exact date, nor Russian price tags for products.

In Russia, this will mean spending at least 50,000 rubles. However, there is information that the smartphone will still cost much less. Such rumors fit well with the fact that Huawei in our country has a very democratic pricing policy.

Why is P10 still not a flagship for me? But because there should be only one device like this - Mate 9, the initial modification of which costs $699. Against this background, the P series should be at least 100 euros/dollars cheaper than the top device. And if you spend a lot of money, then, of course, on a top top - .

Release date: March 2017 Price: €650 Our cozy Telegram The author expresses Huawei thanks for the device provided for testing

The build quality of the case is impeccable, and when you try to twist and squeeze, the case bends only slightly and does not make any sounds. Such high torsional rigidity of the case is ensured by a durable aluminum alloy frame. The back surface is glossy, which is not particularly disturbing in the case of the iridescent blue-violet version. But we were given a black version for testing, which instantly collects a variety of prints. But, what’s remarkable is that the gloss is not particularly scratch-resistant, and it’s quite easy to wipe off your fingers.

On the front side in the upper cutout of the screen there is a pair of front cameras, proximity and light sensors, as well as a tiny earpiece.

From the rear you can see a block of two cameras and a flash, as well as a fingerprint reading sensor.

On the left side surface there is a tray for installing a pair of SIM cards in nanoSIM format, one of which can be replaced with microSD media. On the right are the lock and volume control keys.

Only the microphone is visible on the back end. The bottom end is a little more loaded. There is a system speaker, a microUSB connector, a second microphone and a standard analog audio connector.

Display

In terms of dimensions, the smartphone is comparable to 5.7...6-inch models, but its screen diagonal is 6.3 inches. It’s all about the non-standard aspect ratio, which has become even closer to the cinematic one and is 19.5:9, and the resolution is 1080 * 2340 pixels. It is worth noting that the indicated screen resolution is the maximum for the system-on-chip used. Unlike the usual non-plus screen, the screen of the tested smartphone has rounded corners, and there is also a cutout. The “unibrow” can be hidden if necessary. The display has an oleophobic coating and supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. In general, there is full set modern functions and features.

The screen brightness in standard mode is 341.42 cd/m2, and in “bright” mode - 412.08 cd/m2. The difference, frankly, is quite impressive. But at high brightness, it is worth considering not only increased battery consumption, but also significant color distortion, as well as a very serious increase in color temperature. In addition, when the “Bright” mode is activated, the contrast drops slightly - 937:1 versus 995:1 in standard mode

As for the accuracy of color display, in normal mode There’s nothing to complain about - the gamma is close to the standard, the color temperature by smartphone standards is not too high, the delta E color deviation on the gray wedge does not exceed 10.1, and on the primary colors (RGBCMY) - no more than 7.0, which is excellent result for a mid-budget smartphone. In the “Vivid” mode, the Delta E deviation on the gray wedge reaches a value of 23.1, and on the primary colors the maximum deviation is 10.8. The color temperature, depending on the lightness of the hue, is in the range of 8550...9750 K. Of course, here you can remember about the ability to adjust the color temperature, but the controls are not very convenient, so using them to achieve correct color display is quite difficult. In addition, when manually lowering the color temperature, the brightness decreases in parallel, which is the only advantage of the “Bright” mode.

Standard mode

Vivid mode

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Sound

The decorative grille of the speaker is not very different in size from the camera eyes, and the speaker itself is small. But, nevertheless, it copes with its function perfectly - the volume is sufficient in almost all typical conditions of use, and no defects were identified during testing. U system dynamics no pronounced defects were also noticed, but its overall sound quality is very mediocre - the frequency range is quite narrow, and it lacks not only the lows, but also high frequencies. In addition, the speaker volume level is low. When playing a sinusoidal signal with a frequency of 1 kHz at a distance of 1 meter from the smartphone, a value of 70.1 dBA was recorded. In our database of results, the test one turned out to be one of the quietest smartphones, while the one we recently tested showed one of the best results. It seems as if Huawei deliberately made the speaker simpler and quieter in order to reduce the attractiveness of the smartphone, which is a potential threat to both the older models of the Y line and the younger model of the P20 line.

Unfortunately, the situation is no better, if not worse, on the analog audio output. When playing the test signal and operating with a 32 Ohm load, a level of only 99.9 mV was recorded, and when using a 16 Ohm load – 79.2 mV. Most likely, this is a feature of a specific sample, and not the model as a whole, because values ​​​​less than 150 mV (with a load of 32 Ohms) are extremely rare. Often this indicates a defect or a feature of the pre-sale sample, or rather the firmware. In any case, if you like this smartphone, then the volume in the headphones should be assessed first.

Performance

Huawei P Smart Plus became the first smartphone based on the new HiSilicon Kirin 710 system-on-chip, which aims to compete with Qualcomm Snapdragon 636/660. This SoC is made using the 12 nm FinFET process technology and is equipped with 8 cores – 4 Cortex-A73 with a frequency of up to 2.2 GHz and 4 Cortex-A53 with a frequency of up to 1.7 GHz. The video subsystem is based on the Mali-G51 MP2. The amount of RAM is quite standard for a mid-budget solution, and is 4 GB (for the SoC used, the maximum amount of RAM is 6 GB).

It was not possible to fully test the system in popular benchmarks. When trying to install Antutu, Geekbench and PCMark, a syntax error was thrown. Moreover, the error is common and well-studied - 501. But all known methods for eliminating it did not work. It is noteworthy that any other software, including little-known test packages, installs absolutely smoothly and without problems. Probably, this feature was intentionally included by the manufacturer in the test samples for the press.

I was able to install Androbench without any problems. The CPU Throttling Test was also installed without any problems, which showed an average performance of 112,181 GIPS during the stress test, as well as some problems with overheating and throttling over long periods of time. high loads. Not without problems, but we still managed to launch the 3Dmark package, in which HiSilicon Kirin 710 demonstrated performance at the level of Qualcomm Snapdragon 636. In popular JavaScript tests, HiSilicon Kirin 710 is slightly ahead of its main competitor.

According to information from the network, in Antutu 7 the tested smartphone scores about 138 thousand points, and in Geekbench – 1601 points in single-core mode and 5457 in multi-core mode, which is comparable to the results of testing Qualcomm Snapdragon 636/660.

Camera

The smartphone is formally equipped with 4 cameras at once - two each from the front and rear. But in fact, only one module is used, and a pair of 2 MP sensors are installed only as auxiliary sensors to ensure the background blur function works. Considering the price of a smartphone, what can you expect from it? high-quality photos it was difficult, but Huawei P Smart Plus was able to pleasantly surprise. Moreover, I was pleased not only with the main camera, but also with the front camera.

The front camera is based on a sensor with a resolution of 24 megapixels. The lens aperture is not impressive, but standard for its class - f/2.0. Automation accurately sets the exposure, the detail of the images is high, and the colors are reproduced accurately. The front camera shoots well not only in good lighting, but also in low artificial lighting. The background blur function works, but not as well as, for example, in ASUS smartphones. Moreover, the problem is not even with the quality of the blur, because it really looks like bokeh, but with determining the boundaries of the subject. But in general, the results of the function are very interesting.

The subject does not have a front flash, so in the absence of lighting, a screen with a white fill is used to illuminate the subject being photographed. Power luminous flux however, it is small, so the automation uses high sensitivity values ​​and active software noise reduction (read: blurring).

daylight	natural light, background blur
artificial lighting, 30 lux	display lighting in flash mode

The main camera is based on a 16 megapixel sensor. The lens aperture is only f/2.2. The rear camera can blur the background, but, as in the case of the front camera, the boundaries of the photographed object are not determined in the best way.

no blur	with blur

The smartphone manufacturer is actively focusing on AI (artificial intelligence), which can be activated when shooting. But in practice, all the power of AI comes down to increasing the brightness and saturation of colors. Particularly active this function works when shooting landscapes. But the AI ​​doesn’t yet have a sense of proportion – the color of greenery and the sky turns out to be overly saturated and far from reality. The activity of this function cannot be adjusted. In general, from a subjective point of view, AI is still raw.

AI activated	AI disabled

But here the tested smartphone has a trump card, or rather an ace up its sleeve - the ability to shoot in RAW from standard application. Thanks to this function you can adjust the saturation certain colors and play around with exposure compensation in the RAW development program. Of course, this will have to be done manually and take time, but the result will be better than with AI.

If you don’t pay attention to the operation of newfangled functions, then overall the camera works great for its price class. Automation correctly sets the exposure even in the most difficult situations (for example, when shooting with the sun in the frame), does not distort colors in bright daylight, which is typical of competitors (for example,), and the detail of the images is pleasantly pleasing.

The camera settings provide the ability to select exposure metering mode, sensitivity level, shutter speed, focus operating mode, set white balance, as well as introduce exposure compensation.

To evaluate image quality, a test pattern was shot using the rear camera with a sensitivity of ISO100-3200 in 1 EV increments. Test images were saved JPEG formats and RAW with subsequent conversion to JPEG with minimal compression.

Shooting in RAW

Shooting in JPEG

Also, thanks to the possibility of shooting in RAW, a graph of the dependence of the brightness noise level on the sensitivity level was built. He was taken as an opponent. As can be seen in the graph, despite the overall high quality of the photo, the tested smartphone is still noticeably inferior in terms of noise level to its more expensive opponent.

Illumination 50 luxIllumination 50 lux + flashIllumination 3 lux + flash

Flash

When measured at a distance of 1 meter from the smartphone, the built-in flash based on 1 LED provides illumination at 30.4 lux, which is an average value.

Video recording

In video mode, the smartphone is capable of recording videos with a resolution of no more than 1920*1080 pixels, but in 60p mode, which is a good bonus for a mid-budget smartphone. Unfortunately, the sample provided for testing flatly refused to focus, so it was not possible to provide an example video. It's worth noting that this feature is clearly a problem with the specific image, not the model.

Autonomous operation

The smartphone is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 3340 mAh. In reading mode, the smartphone lasted 891 minutes, in FullHD video viewing mode – 676 minutes, and 277 minutes in game mode.

A complete charger was not provided for testing, so I used third party charging with configuration 5V/2.5A, 9V/2A, 12V/1.5A.

Conclusion

Externally, the smartphone is extremely similar to the representative flagship line P20. At the same time, the test subject is significantly ahead of the younger model of this line in terms of performance. It is worth noting here that the home-grown SoC Kirin 710 turned out to be very successful, and it easily competes with Snapdragon 636 and 660.

Despite some shortcomings, in general Huawei has turned out to be an excellent mid-budget smartphone, which can even be forgiven for its microUSB connector (if using USB The Type-C smartphone being tested would greatly hinder the sales of older models). And in general, it could be safely recommended for purchase, but only if it had an NFC module, without which any smartphone now loses its attractiveness. Of the strong competitors, it is worth noting, which has NFC, a larger battery capacity, but Huawei P Smart Plus has a more interesting design and much more quality cameras.
Minuses:
— low power of the system speaker;
— sound quality of the system speaker;
— low level signal on analog audio output;
— 5 GHz Wi-Fi band is not supported;
- no NFC;
— microUSB connector;
Pros:
— design (subjective);
— build quality and torsional rigidity of the case;
— high-quality display;
- high performance;
— generally high-quality cameras (for their price class);
— the ability to shoot in RAW in the standard camera control program;
- price.

There were a lot of big words and a huge number of straightforward comparisons with competitors were made - in the Chinese style, without the slightest embarrassment. And the cameras of both smartphones set records in DxO Mark, and the screens are better, and with artificial intelligence handled more skillfully. On the other hand, when was it different? Do you remember the company that introduced the smartphone saying: “Well, we didn’t do a very good job here, Apple, of course, is better at doing such things”? However, this time, on many points, Huawei at least wanted to be believed.

But you can’t live in our business by faith alone, so it’s imperative to check all these statements. True, in this review we will talk exclusively about Huawei P20 Pro - a more interesting version of the new flagship, which is distinguished by a larger display (6.1 inches versus 5.8), a more capacious battery (4000 mAh versus 3400 mAh) and absolutely another camera. And it was precisely for the sake of the latter that it was worth starting all the fuss: the P20 Pro has a unique three-chamber (!) module with a leading sensor of 40 (!) megapixels. Besides this, the gadget still boasts a lot, but we are already getting used to the fact that the competition between flagship smartphones essentially comes down to comparing their cameras (while the market for cameras themselves has fallen and is not rising). But we will still talk about everything, not focusing only on photography and videography.

⇡ Specifications

	Huawei P20 Pro	Huawei P20			Samsung Galaxy S9
Display	6.1 inches, OLED, 2240 × 1080 pixels, 408 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.8 inches, IPS, 2244 × 1080 pixels, 430 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	6 inches, AMOLED, 2160 × 1080 pixels, 402 ppi, capacitive multi-touch	5.8 inches, Super AMOLED, 2436 × 1125, 458 ppi, capacitive multi-touch, TrueTone technology	5.8 inches, Super AMOLED, 1440 × 2960, 570 ppi, capacitive multi-touch
Protective glass	No information	No information	No information	No data	Corning Gorilla Glass 5
CPU		HiSilicon Kirin 970: four ARM Cortex A73 cores, 2.4 GHz + four ARM Cortex A53 cores, 1.8 GHz; HiAI architecture	HiSilicon Kirin 970: four ARM Cortex A73 cores, 2.4 GHz + four ARM Cortex A53 cores, 1.8 GHz; HiAI architecture	Apple A11 Bionic: six cores (2 × Moonsoon + 4 × Mistral)	Samsung Exynos 9810: eight cores (4 × M3, 2.7 GHz + 4 × Cortex-A55, 1.8 GHz)
Graphics controller	ARM Mali-G72 MP12, 850 MHz	ARM Mali-G72 MP12, 850 MHz	ARM Mali-G72 MP12, 850 MHz	Apple GPU (3 cores)	Mali-G72 MP18, 900 MHz
RAM	6 GB	4 GB	4/6 GB	3 GB	4 GB
Flash memory	128 GB	128 GB	64/128 GB	64/256 GB	64/128/256 GB
Memory card support	No	No	No	No	Eat
Connectors	USB Type-C	USB Type-C	USB Type-C	Lightning	USB Type-C, 3.5 mm mini-jack
SIM cards	Two nano-SIMs	Two nano-SIMs	Two nano-SIMs	One nano-SIM	One nano-SIM
Cellular connection 2G		GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz	GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz	GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
Cellular 3G		HSDPA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz	HSDPA 800/850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz	HSDPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz	UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz
Cellular 4G		LTE Cat. 18 (up to 1200 Mbit/s), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41	LTE Cat. 18 (up to 1200 Mbit/s), bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40	LTE Cat. 12 (450 Mbps): bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40 , 41, 66	LTE Cat. 18 (1200/200 Mbit/s), bands 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28, 32, 38, 39, 40, 41
WiFi	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac	802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4/5 GHz
Bluetooth	4.2 (aptX HD)	4.2	4.2	5.0	5.0
NFC	Eat	Eat	Eat	Yes (Apple Pay)	Eat
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo
Sensors		Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer ( digital compass), IR sensor	Light, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), IR sensor		Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass)
Fingerprint's scanner	Eat	Eat	Eat	No	Eat
Facial recognition system	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat	Eat
Main camera	Triple module, 40 + 20 + 8 MP, ƒ/1.8 + ƒ/1.6 + ƒ/2.4, hybrid autofocus, optical stabilization, dual LED flash	Dual module, 20 + 12 MP, ƒ/1.6 + ƒ/1.8, hybrid autofocus, optical stabilization, dual LED flash	Dual module, 20 + 12 megapixels, ƒ/1.6, hybrid autofocus, optical stabilization, dual LED flash	Dual module: 12 MP, ƒ/1.8 + 12 MP, ƒ/2.4, autofocus, quad-LED flash, optical stabilizer in both cameras	12 MP, variable aperture f/1.5/2.4, autofocus, LED flash, optical image stabilization
Front-camera	24 MP, ƒ/2.0, fixed focus, no flash	24 MP, ƒ/2.0, autofocus, no flash	8 MP, ƒ/2.0, autofocus, no flash	7 MP, f/2.2, no flash	8 MP, f/1.7, no flash
Nutrition		Non-removable battery: 12.92 Wh (3400 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery: 15.2 Wh (4000 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery: 10.26 Wh (2716 mAh, 3.8 V)	Non-removable battery: 11.55 Wh 3000 mAh, 3.8 V)
Size	155 × 73.9 × 7.8 mm	149.1 × 70.8 × 7.65 mm	154.2 × 74.5 × 7.9 mm	143.6 × 70.9 × 7.7 mm	147.7 × 68.7 × 8.5 mm
Weight	180 grams	165 grams	178 grams	174 grams	163 grams
Housing protection	yes, IP67 standard	No	yes, IP67 standard	yes, IP67 standard	yes, IP68 standard
operating system		Android 8.0 Oreo, EMUI shell	Android 8.0 Oreo, EMUI shell	iOS 11	Android 8.0 Oreo, own shell
Current price	54,990 rubles	45,580 rubles	45,000 rubles	from 70,990 to 81,990 rubles	59,990 rubles

⇡ Design, ergonomics and software

Smartphone design, while leaving little room for artistic imagination, remains as important a battleground for premium devices as cameras. And Huawei is definitely losing this battle. Yes, the task before the designers was initially difficult - to reduce the frames around the display as much as possible (as fashion says), while at the same time preserving individuality, corporate style and introducing some features that are characteristic of them into the appearance of the P20/P20 Pro. Alas, the result is precisely an attempt to sit on several chairs, visible to the naked eye.

The cutout put into use by Apple (popularly called the “unibrow”) right in the middle of the top edge of the display is combined with a hardware “Home” key located below, and the IP67 protection class declared for the P20 Pro is combined with the absence of a mini-jack. When will Chinese technology developers understand that not everything Apple does is equally useful! You can make a secure phone by keeping the mini-jack in place - ask Samsung or Sony how if you are at a dead end.

All this is supported by a not very neat-looking “sandwich” of the front panel, consisting, as usual, of laminated glass. The situation is somewhat corrected by the beautiful back panel, made of mirror glass, which, of course, collects your every fingerprint, but when wiped, it looks really cool. Especially not in the black version, as in our case, but in the blue or gradient version (Pantone). This P20 Pro is truly capable of impressing, but the eclectic, recycled and slightly scruffy front panel brings the score down.

The edges are made of metal with small plastic inserts for the correct operation of the antennas - this is a common solution.

There is something wrong with the oleophobic coating of the display, as is the case with Huawei - the front panel is covered by default protective film, and it is not recommended to peel it off, since fingerprints really stick to the screen.

Huawei P20 Pro, as befits a serious smartphone of the 2018 model year, combines what previously seemed incompatible simply by physical laws - a huge display and relatively small dimensions. The 6.1-inch screen is “packed” into a body with dimensions of 155 × 73.9 × 7.8 mm - yes, the P20 Pro is larger than that, but there is also a larger display. Be that as it may, the gadget fits into any pocket and does not cause serious discomfort when used. At least we are all (well, almost) already used to it. Nothing unusual, just another “spatula”.

Among the unusual solutions, I would also like to note the round earpiece - it really looks good, and saves space on the cutout (as a result, it is noticeably smaller here than on the iPhone). We've already seen something like this (including on budget smartphones like Wileyfox), but it still looks non-standard. Otherwise, there are no surprises: hardware keys are on the right edge, a SIM card slot is on the left, and the main speaker is on the bottom. The sound here, by the way, is stereophonic - this speaker works in tandem with the same round speaker.

To control the gadget, you can use it as an on-screen navigation panel, consisting of three standard Android elements, and exclusively the “Home” key. It is here, as has long been the custom, touch-sensitive and reacts both to single touches and to various gestures - their purpose can be changed in the settings.

Huawei P20 Pro offers both of today's main options for verifying your identity when unlocking the device. There is both a fingerprint scanner built into the Home key and a facial recognition system. A special sensor is not used for this - only a software part that uses the capabilities of the front camera. At the same time, recognition occurs very quickly, including in the dark - to identify the user, the camera has enough light from the screen, which in this case remains on. Yes, in theory, there is not the same reliability and security that the system of a dot projector and IR camera in the iPhone X provides, but you most likely will not notice the practical difference.

If you wish, you can use both facial recognition and a fingerprint scanner - just for different purposes. One, for example, to unlock the device, the second - to pay via Google Pay or access to personal space.

Huawei P20 Pro: Screenshot

Huawei has not prepared a new version of EMUI for the release of P20/P20 Pro - here is the same EMUI shell of the eighth version, which debuted back in the fall on . In a nutshell, it's a slightly specialized shell, but it works extremely smoothly. In my opinion, it is faster than any of those on the market - Huawei smartphones are sometimes faster than their more powerful competitors in terms of the speed of redrawing screens and opening applications. The P20 Pro has exactly this situation - in terms of speed, it is quite on par with the Samsung Galaxy S9. Energy efficiency is also not bad, although the Always-On Display function added here (after all, the OLED screen allows you to do this) eats up more charge than Samsung or LG smartphones - 10% goes away easily overnight.

Huawei also promises to reduce the effect of smartphone fatigue due to improved work with neural networks - these are the same promises that were made when releasing the Mate 10 Pro. It must not lose speed and not accumulate errors over time, giving in six months or a year the same feeling from work as immediately after the purchase. Naturally, it was impossible to reliably verify these promises during the relatively short-term testing of the P20 Pro.

The P20 Pro also has its own specifics. It concerns - as is easy to understand just by looking at a smartphone - working with the “cutout”. If you are annoyed by the sight of this "pier" breaking into single space screen with a status bar to the right and left of it, you can fix this by simply painting the status bar black. It looks a little wild, but perfectionists might like it.

⇡ Display and sound

To release an expensive smartphone with an LCD screen in 2018 is blatant bad manners. There are no longer any illusions about any advantage of liquid crystal technology over organic LEDs - except that we can talk about the burnout of individual pixels of OLED matrices, but taking into account the lifespan of smartphones (extremely rarely more than three to four years), this is not very serious. Huawei installed an IPS matrix in the P20, but the Pro version still received OLED.

It uses a 6.1-inch display with a resolution of 2240 × 1080 pixels - the aspect ratio is 19:9. This is not the same screen that is installed in the Huawei Mate 10 Pro - it is slightly different in diagonal and format. The pixel density here is slightly higher than on the Mate - 408 ppi. This is not so much by flagship standards - here it is more common to see Quad HD displays with a density exceeding 500 ppi. But it is impossible to notice the difference with the naked eye - only when used with virtual reality glasses. The video can be watched either in the original format (this is usually 16:9) or stretched to fill the entire screen - in this case the format will be 18:9, however, the “ears” around the cutout with sensors are not used during playback.

The touchpad (supports ten touches, works with gestures) can respond to the touch of a gloved hand when activated special settings. The display has a polarizing layer, but, of course, there is no air gap between the display matrix and the front panel sandwich.

The measured maximum brightness level without software enhancement during auto-adjustment is 411 cd/m 2 . The figure itself is not very impressive, especially in comparison with the OLED display of the iPhone X, but due to the relatively infinite contrast level, using the smartphone is quite convenient in any situation, including in the sun. Especially if you activate automatic adjustment brightness - in this case, due to automatic adjustment, it can jump up to 580 cd/m2. And in general, the adaptive backlight works very softly and pleasantly - there is no desire to turn it off.

Huawei P20 Pro, bright mode, gamma. Yellow line - Mate P20 Pro performance, dotted line - reference range

By default, the display mode is set to “bright”. An expanded color space is used, but the colors are not entirely natural - the picture in this mode should “please the eye”, and not correspond to the truth. The color temperature is expectedly high (6700-7700 K), the average deviation DeltaE for the expanded Color Checker palette (shades of gray + a wide range of color shades) is 4.30 - not bad, but nothing special (the upper limit of the norm passes, let me remind you, according to result 3, 00). The average gamma is excellent - 2.18, but the curves behave incorrectly.

If you change the color rendering mode to “normal”, the picture will immediately become warmer, and the color space will approach the sRGB standard. Gamma is 2.25 with slightly more stable curves (although again there is no point in talking about extreme accuracy), the temperature “warmers” by about 1000 K and is approaching normal, the average deviation DeltaE on the Color Checker scale is 2.44. General impression from the screen settings is not much different from what we had after getting acquainted with Apple flagships or Samsung. Decent flagship level.

The Huawei P20 Pro doesn't sound mediocre - it just sounds ordinary. You can use wired headphones only through an adapter (included), this may well affect the sound. However, I didn’t notice any critical lack of volume or detail - everything was fine with that. There is good news for fans of wireless headphones - the high-quality audio transmission standard (aptX, aptX HD) is supported. However, in any case, it is better for audiophiles not to think about smartphone sound and use the usual specialized players.

Wherein external speakers They sound great by telephone standards. The technology has been tested on the Mate 10 Pro, here we get the same level - stereo effect, very high (for such small speakers) volume, if you really want, you can even watch the video without using headphones, without suffering too much. Call when Huawei help The P20 Pro is comfortable - I didn’t experience any problems in this regard during two weeks of testing.