Huawei Phones – A Closer Look
Huawei is one of the largest smartphone makers in the world. It has gained traction in developing countries due to its affordable and top-performing devices.
It has also been making efforts to diversify its senior management team and bring in more international experience. This move is to strengthen its global brand presence and remain competitive with Apple and Samsung.
1. Huawei P20 Pro
Huawei is one of the world’s largest makers of routers and switches, but they haven’t jumped into the smartphone market with an all-out assault. Instead, they’ve used their telecommunications expertise to focus on making great phones that also solve real-world problems.
The P20 Pro is a terrific example of this philosophy in action. Its psychedelic twilight shell conceals a metric ton of top-tier tech, from a brilliant OLED screen to an impressive triple back camera system that easily rivals the iPhone X and Galaxy S9. And it’s all powered by a super-fast processor that easily keeps up with all your daily tasks.
And while it sports the now-ubiquitous notch at the top of its display, Huawei’s is the least obtrusive I’ve ever seen, and you can even hide it in system settings. It also has a solid fingerprint reader and genuinely useful face-unlock technology, plus its earpiece delivers loud and clear audio in both directions. All in a package that’s comfortable to hold. Plus, it’s waterproof and has a 4,000-mAh battery that easily lasts a full day.
2. Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Huawei’s Mate 20 Pro is a big, imposing phone that’s ready to fight on equal terms with Apple and Samsung at the top of the premium Android pack. In Europe, it costs a knee-wobbling EUR1,049 (around $1,200) and has a look that’s instantly recognizable thanks to the fact that its three rear cameras and flash are collected into a square, eye-catching mount on its back.
The camera setup is impressive too: you get an ultra-wide, a conventional wide, and a telephoto camera to give you lots of creative options. It’s also got a really fast raise-to-wake and huawei-products unlock system that’s backed up by facial recognition and a fingerprint sensor in the screen itself.
Despite the fact that the US won’t officially endorse it (because of tensions with American security services), the Mate 20 Pro is chock-full of unique features. It’s essentially ticking every wishlist box you could imagine: high-resolution OLED display, 7nm processor, tons of RAM and storage, super-fast wireless charging, water resistance, and an array of world firsts in the camera department. It’s like a phone checklist that keeps on growing.
3. Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei’s mid-range P20 Lite offers the kind of features you’d expect from a premium smartphone. It has a great-looking display, the latest software, and a fast processor. And it comes at a very affordable price.
The phone’s 16-megapixel and 2-megapixel dual camera takes crisp, bright pictures. The latter feature a bokeh effect that is popular in this price range. The phone also has Beautify, which does a nice job of removing blemishes from selfies. Unfortunately, the Huawei P20 Lite lacks the AI integration found in recent flagship phones that can analyse scenes and optimise settings accordingly.
It has a 5.84-inch FHD+ display with a 19:9 aspect ratio. It’s big enough for single-handed use and has excellent viewing angles. The screen is vibrant and has a pixel density of 432 ppi. Huawei also threw in a feature that lets you calibrate the display at your preferred color temperature.
The phone has a USB-C port and a headphone jack on the bottom edge. It supports 3.5 mm headphones, making it easy to connect them to the phone without a dongle adapter. It has a fingerprint sensor on the back. It works quickly to unlock the device, although it doesn’t scan a 3D map of your face like Apple’s Face ID.
4. Huawei P20
Huawei has been a longtime leader in mobile connectivity and network infrastructure, but the company wants to expand into consumer electronics. That’s why it has partnered with major telecom operators to launch the P20 series of phones.
The phone is an excellent Android flagship. It has a powerful processor, a great fingerprint scanner and a genuinely useful face unlocking feature. The camera is also top notch. But it does have some drawbacks, including a notch on the display and no headphone jack.
One of the keys to Huawei’s success has been its strong technical prowess and unique senior management style. Unlike other technology companies, which rely heavily on the chain of command to control quality and product roadmaps, Huawei has delegated more decision-making to customer facing roles and regional offices, which allows it to be more responsive to market demands.
Another important aspect of Huawei’s strategy has been pricing. It has priced its phones lower than competitors, but not so low that it compromises quality or looks nsn-boot-fiber-optic-jumper-cable-assembly like a cheap Chinese provider. This approach has helped Huawei gain a foothold in markets ignored by other premium smartphone makers.
5. Huawei P20 Lite
The Huawei P20 Lite is the cheapest of the P20 range and attempts to trickle down a bit of glamour from its pricier siblings. It has a premium glass back that helps it stand out amongst the hordes of metal-clad mid-range smartphones. The front is dominated by a 5.84-inch display that has a small notch and minimal side bezels. It can display up to 1400 pixels per inch and is a treat to view.
The phone is powered by a Kirin 659 chipset. While not as powerful as the Snapdragon 625 in other phones, it does get the job done. The phone is quite responsive and can handle most tasks with ease. The only issue is that it tends to lag and slow down when multiple apps are running.
The P20 Lite runs on Android 8.0 Oreo and features Huawei’s custom EMUI 8.0 skin on top. The UI has made massive strides in the past few iterations and is now much faster and smoother than before. The phone also comes with a USB Type-C port at the bottom which can be used for charging, data transfer and audio.