Android P review with many useful changes. Huawei P20 smartphone review: machine intelligence at the service of cameras. Pros and cons of a smartphone
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 fell into 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.
Huawei P20 Lite specifications Quite consistent with its price tag. Not a bad processor high quality screen And good camera They 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, electronic 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 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. Located nearby USB-C connector. Nowadays this is already the norm, but you can often find micro-USB in “state sector” devices.
The body is made of metal and glass. Only the frames, front and back panels- 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.
Appearance 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 option. 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 under the front camera, speaker and a 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.
Dual camera is necessary set for bokeh style photos. 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 do 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 of the Huawei P20 Lite phone communication capabilities. This device has some interesting features, which users will clearly 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 is different high speed acceptance of data, so the speed and quality of synchronization with wireless headset guaranteed.
I would also like to say something about NFC. This is very useful feature, which allows you to conveniently make payments. 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 when talking on speakerphone may have problems. 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. Since the slot is hybrid, you can put a micro-SD card in it 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:
- The device has the ability to switch quality from FullHD+ to HD+.
- 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.
Quantity random access memory 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
Operating system - important aspect on 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 still there is one minus. 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 fast scanner fingerprints. 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 “trick” is cool.
Well, a few words about 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, which is similar to the flagship options, powerful 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 ordinary budget options that will satisfy 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.
The first test version of the new operating system Android systems P Developer Preview 1.
According to company representatives, basically all work with new version Android has been aimed at optimizing performance and overall stability, as well as security operating system. But there were also new useful features.
We'll tell you what interesting things engineers from California came up with.
1. The clock has been moved to the left
Standard current time digits moved to the left top corner. You need to get used to this.
2. New volume control design
The volume control is now located on the right side and drawn vertically.
It consists of two separate elements. The first is the volume slider, which allows you to quickly mute all media sounds, as well as control the volume of any connected device. The second is the call mode window, which allows you to turn the sound on/off.
3. An easy way to take and edit a screenshot
When you press the power button, the menu appears new option“take a screenshot”, which can be edited immediately. There is a built-in editor for this. Who said iOS?
4. Convenient image rotation mode
One of the cool new features is the smart rotation mode.
If the user disables automatic rotation display when turning, then in case horizontal tilt The rotation icon will appear in the navigation bar of your smartphone.
When you click on it, the device will switch to the corresponding display mode. Otherwise, the icon will disappear after a couple of seconds. Comfortable.
4. Always-on displays charge
Always-on displays show battery percentage at the bottom center of the screen.
5. The design has become more rounded
On the left is Android P, right Android Oreo
Familiar windows have a more pleasant appearance thanks to rounded corners. Looks elegant.
6. Settings became bright and playful
The icons in the settings menu have become colored. Now everything is not so strict, but more festive. Moreover, the colors of each block of settings are chosen quite logically. Network settings - blue, battery menu - green. We saw this somewhere.
On the menu quick settings The list of icons now scrolls vertically instead of horizontally.
7. “Unibrow” support is now at the system level
Last week ago MWC exhibition 2018 demonstrated a new sad trend for manufacturers - to release smartphones with a design similar to the iPhone X. That is, with a unibrow.
Android P provides screen customization specifically for such smartphones. It allows you to adjust the cutout to a specific size of the platform with cameras on the display.
8. Support Wi-Fi RTT technology
Android P can tell you the distance to WiFi points. In other words, the system will show the location of Wi-Fi routers indoors with an accuracy of 1-2 meters.
A convenient feature that will allow you to sit closer to the router in a cafe.
9. Safety first
Entered upon unlocking graphic key disappears as you draw it. Thus, the risk of snooping on such a password is reduced.
Android P also began to limit access to microphones, cameras and phone sensors third party applications running in the background.
In addition, it is stated:
- Familiar (for iPhone users) text zooming when editing
- Supports HDR VP9 video and HEIF image compression
- API responsible for the work dual cameras- smooth scaling and bokeh effect, which is currently not possible to test.
- New APIs for working with machine learning
The next DP will be released in May, and the final build will not be available until the third quarter of 2018.
And Watch 2 classic.
The total price tag was 54,990 rubles.
Model CLT-L29, midnight blue.
Set - phone, charger, headphones, adapter, which now replaces the lack of a normal hole for headphones, protective film, case.
I can build on the previous pair of phones I used, Huawei P10 and Motorola Z Play.
Feelings from the purchase. First days of use
Having opened the box and turned on the smartphone, I still caught myself thinking that I had a “wow effect”. The phone is beautiful and elegant. Taste of "sea wave".
Unfortunately, all the beauty of the back cover was immediately covered with fingerprints, so it was immediately packed into the included case.
In the case, the appearance turned out to be much simpler. The only thing that calms me down is the knowledge that beauty is protected.
After switching on
I was surprised by the screen. They say that Samsung S-series uses the best and most technologically advanced displays. I will not say that this is not so.
The display is colorful and contrasting. There were no questions about the image in a variety of situations.
Android 8, branded shell, which reviewers love to criticize. You could say it's a classic.
Subjectively, I only liked Sony’s shell more. But I chalk it up to nostalgia.
IN " heavy games“I don’t play. Therefore, I can’t say that the phone ever reached the limit of its performance, got hot, or somehow showed a lack of power.
Stretches applications to the full length of the screen. When you first launch applications, it asks, then you can adjust it in the settings. Although, no discomfort was noticed regarding the strange proportions of the screen during operation.
The main thing for me. Connectivity and autonomy
The connection is great. I once wondered on Honor 6 why Sony and Samsung were no longer clinging to each other, but he could still call or try to load something. The P20 Pro continues this tradition. There were no disconnections from the network, no speed failures, or other incidents. Voice communication gorgeous. Mobile Internet too.
We have returned the ability not to drop out of the network during a conversation, which was once available on Huawei solutions in Honor 6, , P9 with two communication modules. I don’t know how this is implemented here, but during a conference call you can work quite adequately on the network with your phone.
Autonomy
Good. At the level of Moto Z Play, which I have never had a better smartphone in terms of battery life.
Included:
I didn’t take any special measurements, but the screen stays on for about 6 hours a day.
Charger
At work and at home, branded Huawei Supercharge chargers charge quickly.
For the sake of greater independence, I found a proprietary “fast charger” for the car. For such a small design the weight is surprisingly decent. There were no problems.
What more can be said.
The sound is loud and clear. For the first time I watch a video on my phone without wanting to turn it up louder or turn on the video on my laptop.
Geolocation
Confident. Along the foothills of the Elbrus region, off roads, according to “military maps” the track was perceived very accurately and efficiently.
Although, I can make one more distraction here. The last month is exactly Huawei phones For some reason Google Maps works pretty poorly. I am inclined to believe that there are some problems at the manufacturer level.
There were no problems with navigation in military maps or Yandex.Navigator.
Accessories
Worthy of a separate topic. Interesting toy and experience. Especially for me, as a person who has not used a wristwatch for 30+ years. I played around a little. And mostly I only look at notifications and time. So as not to pull the phone again. They work stably and without complaints.
Fast charging into the car.
Already mentioned her. It was sold as for the Honor series. But the phones don't care.
From AliExpress I ordered two cases, a protective hydrofilm, glass and glass for the cameras. It hasn't arrived yet. I wonder how it will be.
By the way, I couldn’t apply the complete film. The hands turned out to be crooked. Although I didn’t experience any problems on previous phones.
Control
I use finger unlock. Works good.
Just for fun, I played around with face unlock. Works great. Only I was scared by the fact that I take the phone, look at it, and it immediately turns on... Unusual.
The controls on the phone are usually placed on a touch button. Touch is a step back, long touch- home screen, "swipe" - open applications.
The horns on top - in the image of an iPhone - were removed. Although, it was fine with them too. But the battery and network icons look even better on a dark background.
Camera
For me, as a person who took aim and took a picture, the camera is great. You can find fault, criticize, look for flaws as much as you like.
She simply takes photographs in such a way that I, my family and friends really like the result.
Tries to detect objects. I identified the dog as a cat a couple of times. The sky is the sky, the grass is green. The function works. And, most importantly, it doesn’t interfere.
Night and twilight photos are sometimes surprising because it is not at all clear how the phone takes them.
Examples of photos.
Night. Don't understand what kind of lighting. Zoom:
Night. No lighting at all. When I took the photo, I only saw outlines. Night mode:
Same place at dusk:
Another night:
Sunny day:
Macro and Focus/Blur Operation:
Premises:
But this is a photo.
But there are complaints about the video. In normal lighting everything is fine. In the dark or when trying to change the zoom - game. Or is it the absence optical stabilization, or the algorithm will be completed in future software updates. But this does not make the game go away.
Total
At the moment this is best smartphone from the ones I had.
Convenience, simplicity, level of autonomy, quality of communication, absence of software incidents.
There are only two downsides: the soft screen coating and the lack of adequate video stabilization.
9 out of 10. No less.
Thank you for your attention.
Sergey
Sometimes it’s quite difficult to understand a new smartphone model, because it comes in several versions, the appearance of which may be very similar, but the set of capabilities is significantly different. There will also be a noticeable difference in cost. Huawei just recently showed a new flagship line. Its most powerful representative is already in our editorial office, and this time we are getting acquainted with the P20 model with the Lite index.
The lineup
At the end of March 2018, it was presented in Paris flagship line P20. The younger model – Lite – was in China a week earlier, where it was called Nova 3e. The “Lite” variant looks similar to the standard P20 and P20 Pro, but differs in performance and cameras. But a large display with a cutout - common feature the entire line.
Naturally, the price is also very different. While the Lite costs a little over $300, standard version will cost more than twice as much. This is not to mention Pro, whose price tag has completely crossed the $1000 mark and is fighting for a place among the best of the best.
Equipment and first impressions
There is nothing new in the box with the P20 Lite - a charger with the corresponding cable, a clip for removing the SIM card tray, a headset and documentation. Not the most careful users should immediately recommend a case to keep the device in its original form. And to everyone else basic set will be quite enough.
At first glance, it is difficult to distinguish which version of the device is in front of us. For those who have not gone into details, there is a simple marker - a fingerprint scanner on the back, and not under the display, where on the Lite version there is simply a logo. And yet, even the relatively inexpensive Lite looks very cool compared to most devices in its price range. It is appearance that should already be part of success in sales. It may not be a fact that absolutely everyone will like it, but it will definitely attract attention.
Appearance and ease of use
All devices in the P20 line look very similar. The Lite is built with glass on the front and back, with a metal base. The body color is available in three options: Klein Blue, Sakura Pink and Midnight Black. At the same time, there is a refraction of light under the glass, which, depending on the angle, will show pleasant (almost neon) rays. Looks quite nice and stands out well against the background regular smartphones, where almost all manufacturers have a more restrained approach to design. The decision is definitely bold and interesting.
I would not call the smartphone itself large for such a screen diagonal. Its dimensions are 148.6x71.2x7.4 mm and it weighs about 145 grams. It is quite convenient to use, but you still have to intercept it. In fairness, it is worth noting that this will happen with all such gadgets. The main thing is not to let it out of your hands, because glass is not the most tenacious coating option and will not survive any fall. Even though the smartphone itself is well assembled and feels confident, it is probably very sensitive to falls. Also with fingerprints, which easily cover it. In general, a case will not be superfluous, but nice design it'll ruin it.
The location of all working elements is completely normal. The buttons and fingerprint scanner are exactly where the user expects it. Separately, it is worth noting the cameras protruding on the back side, which are not in the best possible way They help you balance on a flat surface, but you can feel them under your fingers, which helps you not have to cover the lenses when shooting. And it’s also nice that the body still has a standard headphone jack.
But the most distinctive thing about the device is the cutout on top of the display. Despite Blue colour body, different cutout size and other quite noticeable differences, I was still asked several times if it was an iPhone X. I don’t see anything wrong with borrowing a design, but as practice shows, very nice ideas in external design are simply canceled out by the popular display cutout. He turned beautiful smartphone into a banal iPhone clone, or so it may seem from the outside. And if we abstract from this, then there are absolutely no complaints about the appearance and ergonomics.
Display
This year Huawei smartphones We followed the trends and the display of the P20 Lite was in the same line. There is both a cutout and rounded corners, and a new aspect ratio. All this immediately catches the eye. But the frames are still noticeable, especially at the bottom and top - big problem this is not the case, except that the logic of the appearance of “bangs” is not entirely clear.
So, under protective glass lined with a 5.8-inch screen with FHD+ resolution (2280×1080), and the aspect ratio is 19:9. The system itself adapts applications to the screen, but warns that there may be unexpected problems (in this case, you can use the standard display, but there will be a small black bar at the bottom). Interestingly, thanks to the slightly unusual aspect ratio, videos and games on the screen are stretched without falling under the notch. Quite good decision. And the rest of the time, the cutout slightly interferes with notifications when there are several of them, thereby forcing you to turn to the notification “curtain” more often. You can also “hide” the cutout in the settings, the sides of which will simply be black, but notifications, time and other icons will remain there.
As for flowers, here we have good IPS. Without a direct comparison, it will be difficult to notice a slight deviation towards warm shades, and in the settings there is an item that allows you to adjust the color temperature as comfortable for the user. I had no desire to change anything, because initially the picture was well set up. Also in the settings there is an important item Eye Comfort (the same “ night mode"), but it is impossible to force it to turn on depending on sunset and sunrise (either manually or at a given time).
In use, the display fully satisfies all needs. Under the open sun, the picture is still legible, the oleophobic coating is in place, the light sensor works correctly, and the touch layer is accurate. It is extremely rare that I have had accidental touches, which the system sometimes misses when the user reaches his thumb across the entire screen. True, this is not a big inconvenience and over time you can get the hang of reaching across the entire display a little differently.
Sound
There is a single speaker on the bottom edge of the smartphone. It is quite consistent with the price of the gadget - not the most impressive sound. In order to voice a video, or notify about a call/message, it is enough. But for those who like to listen to music from a smartphone, this will definitely not be enough.
On the other hand, for music there is a 3.5 mm Jack, either wireless connection. We didn't have a standard headset. And the smartphone easily accepts third-party headphones. In any case, the headphones I was used to sounded good.
The earpiece is quite small and sometimes you had to “search” for it with your ear. True, it sounds good and I heard the interlocutor without problems. Likewise, on the other side there were no disturbances about the quality of speech transmission.
Fingerprint scanner and Face unlock
Like the older versions, Lite got both a fingerprint sensor and face unlock. I repeat, unlike flagships, here the fingerprint scanner is located on the “back”. His position is correct and his finger hits exactly where it is needed. In most cases it works very quickly and accurately.
But the company didn't stop there. By using front camera the smartphone can “recognize” the owner. This method is a little slower and less accurate, but also convenient. There are conditions under which it is noticeably more difficult for a gadget to unlock in this way (poor lighting, bright light in the camera, inconvenient position of the smartphone, etc.), but in this case, the fingerprint scanner quickly solves the problem.
Performance and software
It is quite expected that all new Huawei smartphones work with proprietary Kirin processors, and the P20 Lite is certainly no exception. The eight-core Kirin 659 (4 A53 cores at 2.53 GHz and another 4 A53 at 1.7 GHz) with Mali-T830 graphics is responsible for the performance of the younger model. Even in inexpensive smartphone The storage capacity was 64 GB (of which about 50 are available), and the RAM was 4 GB. If one SIM card is enough for the user, then a memory card can be installed in place of the second one. Of course, there are Wi-Fi sensors that support the AC standard, Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC.
For most daily tasks such a reserve of power is enough, but after starting demanding game you won't get best settings graphics, and the heating will be felt well. I don’t think that users will choose such a device as a gaming device, so this won’t be a problem. Moreover, during the time spent with the smartphone, it never produced any errors, and the operation was mostly smooth and pleasant.
For now, Android 8.0 with EMUI 8.0 shell is available for this model. The appearance of the system has been noticeably changed, with the addition of various options, but experienced users will not be surprised by anything. In general, everything you need is there, but something is slightly missing. For example, Eye comfort mode cannot be “linked” to sunset and sunrise, and Do not disturb cannot be turned on for a couple of hours, as in standard Android. But these are probably the only two little things that I did not find in the settings. Everything else is there.
Autonomy
The P20 Lite had a fairly standard 3000 mAh battery. This was enough for 6 hours 19 minutes in the PCMark test, and in actual use I got an average of 5.5 hours of screen time. As always, gaming and/or navigation can significantly reduce this time. And yet the result is quite ordinary. Active users Most likely you will have to charge it at least once a day, and on busy days you will need a power bank or outlet.
Unfortunately, complete charger We didn't have it. The smartphone also does not support inductive charging. The reference point was the block for charging macbook Pro, with which the smartphone’s battery was fully restored in two and a half hours.
Cameras
As is now fashionable, the P20 Lite received a dual main camera. It consists of a 16-megapixel sensor and an additional 2 MP. The second serves as an auxiliary tool for identifying objects and blurring the background. For the dark time of day, a flash with one diode is placed under the camera block. On the front there is a sensor with a resolution of 16 MP.
The images from the main camera, for obvious reasons, cannot be compared with the flagship ones. However, for its price, the device can do quite good shots. Unfortunately, it’s worth reviewing the result on the spot, because sometimes even in good conditions you can get a blurry photo. On the other hand, sometimes you can photograph something very well and without blur without stopping. But the bokeh didn’t work out very well, because the camera doesn’t clearly find the edges of objects, and the blur level is too high for the result to look natural.
Videos can be shot in Full HD maximum. Standard problem entries in such price category The device will experience noticeable shaking and will not adapt quickly to changes in lighting.
For selfies, there is a good front-facing camera that can take decent photos even in difficult conditions. She also has portrait mode, but you shouldn't rely on it.
The camera app is simple, but for amateurs there is a “pro” mode that can even shoot RAW. IN normal mode(which is where most users will work) is missing an HDR switch. But there are no global complaints against him. Everything works quite quickly and does not require much time to learn and get used to.
It turned out that manufacturers have interesting ideas, which can force you to change your old gadget to a new one. On April 6, pre-orders for Huawei P20 and P20 Pro opened in the MTS retail network and online store. This new flagship from Chinese giant with a number of unique features.
For example, key feature smartphone - triple (!!!) camera with 5x hybrid zoom and unprecedented quality of night photography. Read our material for what else is interesting about the new Huawei flagship.
Three main cameras - why?
Previously, smartphones had one main camera, with it everything was logical and understandable. Then gadgets began to receive a second camera en masse. Some manufacturers use an auxiliary module for blurring background and black and white photography (for example, latest models Huawei and Honor), the latter install a telephoto lens for 2x optical zoom and bokeh effect ( Samsung Galaxy S9+ and iPhone 8 Plus), and still others use a wide-angle camera for shooting landscapes or large buildings without having to go anywhere (LG G6 and Asus Zenfone 5 Lite).
However, further progress in mobile cameras slowed down. Therefore, Huawei were the first to take a step forward by installing three modules at once together with famous brand Leica. What does this mean in practice?
Five times zoom
As we said above, one of the main functions of the triple camera is the five-fold hybrid zoom. With two modules, such a result would be physically impossible.
The secret of the zoom lies in the third camera - this is a telescopic module with an initial threefold magnification relative to a “simple” color camera. Moreover, if you need to bring the frame even closer, the zoom camera connects a 20-megapixel b/w sensor to work and, using software algorithms the increase without loss of quality becomes fivefold!
Thanks to this technology, you can shoot distant objects, bringing them five times closer without losing quality: the photo will be as clear and accurate as before zooming. Everything is like on real DSLRs. So now on vacation it’s quite possible to do without a heavy camera.
Night photography
In fact, triple camera- that's just small part what has changed in terms of mobile photography on Huawei P20 Pro.
Firstly, the smartphone has new high-quality optics with f/1.6 and f/1.8 aperture in the P20 Pro color lenses, which allows you to reduce the number of digital noise in the photo, especially when there is insufficient lighting. Secondly, a unique sensor that can operate in an ultra-wide ISO range. Translated into simple language, the camera can shoot in “night vision” mode, if necessary.
Night photography in Huawei P20 Pro deserves special attention. Well-organized interaction of three cameras, coupled with artificial intelligence, allows the smartphone to do what was previously only available to expensive professional DSLRs: take good photos in low light conditions. Thanks to advanced noise reduction and AI, the smartphone can take photos without noise even at ISO 6400. And the maximum light sensitivity of the Huawei P20 Pro reaches 102400 - previously unavailable for mobile devices meanings.
Artificial intelligence
While we were talking about the camera, we mentioned several times that important part AI plays a role in the quality of photographs - this is only a small part of the merits of this technology.
The smartphone uses algorithms artificial intelligence, which allows you to effectively solve a number of problems: process photographs and recognize typical scenes for shooting, translate texts into several languages in real time and predict user actions, optimizing the use of device resources. The gadget uses learning technologies, so the more you use the device, the better it predicts what you want to get from it.
Frameless design
The smartphone combines long-familiar features with solutions designed to make it unique. The front of the device is an attempt to install a large screen without sacrificing functionality. To do this, engineers borrowed the notch at the top of the screen from Apple, but rethought it. On the Huawei P20 Pro, this element is much smaller, and you can hide it, after which the cutout is not noticeable.
The gadget itself is made of glass and metal. Moreover, the manufacturer was not afraid to experiment and released a new flagship not only in traditional colors, but also in surprisingly beautiful ones - blue and “twilight”. Dusk is a gradient from light blue to purple. It looks cool and unusual.
At the bottom there is a small chin, on which there is a navigation button with a built-in fingerprint scanner. Huawei gives you a choice - use gestures on one single button or include three standard Android on-screen keys. For many users, the location of the scanner on the front panel will be a significant advantage when choosing a device. Nowadays, most new Android smartphones come with a sensor back cover- not everyone likes such a place for a fingerprint scanner.
Huawei P20 Pro is equipped with a 6.1-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2244 x 1080 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The screen provides a bright, realistic image and is great for gaming, viewing photos and videos.
Face recognition
Another new fashionable feature could not be ignored by the Huawei P20 Pro. Yes, the smartphone received an owner recognition system using the front camera.
Unlocking is incredibly fast: you just pick up your smartphone and it’s already on your desktop. In the cold, this is actually a lifesaver: you don’t have to painfully enter a password or take off your gloves.
At the same time, the smartphone, using artificial intelligence, “sees” that you have raised it at eye level and understands that you want to unlock it. At the same time, recognition does not work if you close your eyes - so that no one unlocks your smartphone while you are sleeping.
Water protection
The smartphone is protected from water and dust according to the IP67 standard. This means that Huawei P20 Pro can be taken with you to the beach - it is not afraid of sand and can withstand short-term immersion in water to a depth of 1 meter.
In general, the gadget is not afraid of rain, showers, or even falling into the pool.
Battery capacity 4000 mAh
Huawei P20 Pro also boasts one of the largest batteries among flagships. New product received lithium polymer battery capacity 4000 mAh.
<Мы еще подробно протестируем новинку в различных режимах, но уже сейчас понятно, что энергоэффективный процессор и OLED-дисплей, известный своим бережным отношением к автономности, дадут как минимум полноценный день активной работы.
Flagship filling
Huawei P20 Pro runs on the Kirin 970 processor with a dedicated machine learning unit and artificial intelligence. We have already talked about the work of AI above - all this became possible thanks to a new chipset of our own production.
Needless to say, the processor easily copes with all possible tasks and runs any games at the highest settings. The technological reserve of Kirin 970 will be enough for the next few years.
In addition to the smart processor, Huawei P20 Pro received 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage - an excellent set for a flagship device.
Latest version of Android and EMUI 8
The operating system on the smartphone is Android 8.1 Oreo with the proprietary EMUI 8.0 shell.
EMUI is a proprietary interface from Huawei that modifies standard Android and expands the functionality of the mobile OS. We can talk endlessly about EMUI - in fact, it is a system within a system that changes both the interface and functionality. The shell uses machine learning to speed up the operation of the smartphone by analyzing user habits. For example, if you use an application at a certain time every day, the built-in AI will load the necessary files into memory in advance, predicting when the application will be needed.
The design of the EMUI shell is also almost a standard. Everything has been thought out here: neat fonts, unity of style in all sections of the OS, identical icon shapes, high-quality design themes, a variety of lock screens with digital and analog clocks, and much more.
Results
In fact, Huawei P20 Pro is a real find for mobile photography lovers. Or for those who are looking for the most technologically advanced device on the market. Huawei managed to make an uncompromising flagship, which, most likely, all other manufacturers will focus on in the near future.
