Intro
You may not have noticed the Huawei P20 Pro - the flagship device in which the Chinese manufacturer has focused solidly on cameras! For the first time in mobile history, a device with three main cameras goes on mass sale! Today, however, we will talk about its simplified version - Huawei P20. It is a mini flagship, devoid of the two stereo speakers, IP67 protection and the additional third camera. Of course, this is reflected in the price of the model.
Huawei P20 is suitable for users who want to have a top Android device, equipped with a quality dual camera and relatively compact dimensions.
Specifications
- Release date: 2018, March
- Colors: Twilight, Black, Midnight Blue, Pink Gold
- Dimensions: 149.1 x 70.8 x 7.7 mm.
- Weight: 165 g.
- Screen: 5.8" inc, 1080 x 2240, LTPS IPS LCD
- Camera : Dual, 12MP
- Chipset: Hisilicon Kirin 970 (10 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (4x2.4 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4x1.8 GHz Cortex-A53)
- Memory: 128 GB, 4 GB RAM
- Battery: 3400, Non-removable Li-Po
- Network: GSM / HSPA / LTE
- Operating system: Android 8.1 (Oreo), upgradable to Android 9.0 (Pie); EMUI 8.1
- Sensors: Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, color spectrum
If you are curious to find out all the details before reading the full review, visit the page for Huawei P20 Specs, where you will find even the smallest detail about the phone.
Design
Several of the company's models, the Honor 10, Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Lite, feature an almost identical layout. The differences between them are minimal. The face of the P20, for example, looks typical of most Android devices. The other side - partly reminiscent of the iPhone X in a dark color. There's the glass surface, the placement of the cameras, the shape of the body, the rounded corners around the perimeter... pretty much like the iPhone. Tactilely, the feel is also similar.
For the P20, Huawei has selected three colours: black, blue and pink. The dimensions of the device are: 149x70x7,65 mm at a weight of 165 grams. If we compare the model with the P20 Pro, the dimensions of the latter are 155x73x7.8 mm and its weight is 180 grams. The larger device is seriously bigger. This is due not only to the increased weight, but also to the shape of the rear panel. It gives the impression that the smartphone is also thicker. In the Huawei P20, the back is flat.
Good news for users who stop at the Huawei P20 is the presence of an oleophobic coating, and a quality one at that. Sliding a finger across the screen is easy, fingerprint marks are effortlessly removed.
When you pick up the Huawei P20 in your hand, it may seem a bit slippery. You can solve the problem with a handy case. For the series, there are a variety of accessories released for every taste.
A fingerprint scanner is embedded under the display of the smartphone. The recognition accuracy is high. The scanner works even if your hands are wet. For fans of facial recognition, the device supports this technology as well. It is activated at a distance of 20 to 150 cm. It works faster than in the iPhone X.
Display
Huawei has opted for the well-known notch screen at the top. We see the same solution in the P20 Pro and P20 Lite. The rounding of the screen matrix is executed unevenly: the top is one radius and the bottom - another.
The display diagonal of the Huawei P20 is 5.8 inches, the resolution is 2240 x 1080 pixels (FullHD+), the matrix - LTPS IPS LCD, and the aspect ratio - 19:9. The brightness of the white color is 415 cd/m2, and the black - 0.32 cd/m2. The contrast is 1235:1. The viewing angles are maximum, and on the street on a sunny day you will be able to read the information on the display without any problem.
Here is the time to mention that in the screen settings there is a "Color and vision protection" option. In it you can select the "Natural" mode. It is an analogue of the Ture tone mode in iPhones. We recommend using this mode so that the Huawei P20 screen automatically adjusts according to the light in the environment. This way you will save your eyesight!
Cameras
This version of the full-fledged flagship features two main cameras - a 12 MP color sensor and a 20 MP monochrome sensor. Optical stabilization is absent here, which is understandable given the positioning and price of the device.
Detailed specs of the cameras in the Huawei P20:
- The main camera is 12 MP (Sony IMX378), sensor size 1/2.3 inches, pixel size 1.55 µm, aperture f/1.8, focal length - 27 mm.
- An additional 20 MP monochrome sensor with 1 µm pixel size, f/1.6 aperture and 27 mm focal length.
- The front-facing camera is 24 MP and has an aperture of f/2.0.
Both the main and front cameras on the Huawei P20 shoot at a pretty good level. On serious positions - such as ranking in prestigious ratings, you will not see this model. And it doesn't have to be if you're not a fan of mobile photography. Otherwise, you should head to another model of the Huawei family.
The P20 also offers 30fps video capture. The maximum resolution is 4K. Among the options, there is also slow motion video, which is recorded at 960 frames per second and has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.
Memory and performance
In the Huawei P20, the user gets 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 128 GB of internal storage, which, however, cannot be increased. Keep this in mind! The processor is the same as in the Huawei P20 Pro - HiSilicon Kirin 970. Get ready for a high level of performance and comfortable entertainment with games, mobile apps, videos and whatnot!
Autonomous operation
In this smartphone, Huawei has opted for a 3400 mAh battery capacity. Recall that in the Pro-version this indicator is 4000 mAh, and in the Lite - 3000 mAh.
Considering that an IPS-matrix is used in the P20, you can expect 8-9 hours of continuous video watching at maximum brightness. Gaming will melt the charge in 5 hours and watching YouTube-videos will require recharging after about 7 hours.
On an average device load, the autonomous work is at the level of a day and a half. That's not among the highest scores on the market, but it's satisfying.
The Huawei P20 supports fast charging technology with the brand name Super Charge. What does that mean? In half an hour of charging you'll have up to 65% charge, and in an hour and 10 minutes - 100%.
Competitors
The modern smartphone market is highly competitive. This makes consumers' choices as rich as possible, but also confusing. The features of smartphones are often similar, the design here and there is identical, and the fact that some users do not know their needs well must be taken into account.
If you like this Huawei model but want to compare it with similar phones, take a look at the LG V30, OnePlus 5T, Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and Apple iPhone X. They're not categorically better than it. They have their pros and cons.
Conclusion
The Huawei P20, as you've gathered from the lines above, is slightly inferior to its bigger brother, the P20 Pro. It lacks the third module in the main camera and has a lower class of waterproofing. At the same time, you can acquire it at a lower price.
Pros and cons
Among the pros of Huawei P20 are captivating design, high performance and quality screen.
The cons relate to the absence of a minijack and the observation that the artificial intelligence used in the camera makes the photos too saturated.
Huawei P20 video review
Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is based on our team's personal experience with the Huawei P20 and third-party sources. While every effort has been made to provide accurate and reliable information, readers should keep in mind that this is a subjective assessment. The writing of this article was not paid for or sponsored by Huawei.
