Huawei P20 Pro Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Huawei P20 Pro is a flagship smartphone that promises to revolutionize your mobile experience. With its stunning design and cutting-edge technology, this device is a true game-changer. Featuring a 6.1-inch OLED display and a sleek glass back, the P20 Pro exudes elegance and sophistication. But it's not just about looks - this phone packs a punch with its powerful Kirin 970 processor and 6GB/8GB of RAM, ensuring smooth performance and seamless multitasking. The standout feature of the P20 Pro is its Leica triple camera system, which includes a 40MP main camera, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a 20MP monochrome sensor, allowing you to capture breathtaking photos with exceptional clarity and detail. The device also boasts a large 4000mAh battery and supports fast charging, ensuring you never run out of power. With its impressive features and competitive price, the Huawei P20 Pro is a must-have for tech enthusiasts and photography lovers alike.

Design and Build Quality

The Huawei P20 Pro showcases a sleek and premium design that exudes elegance and sophistication. With its glass front and back panels and an aluminum frame, the device feels solid and well-built in hand. The choice of materials gives it a premium look and feel, while the Gorilla Glass 5 protection offers durability against everyday scratches and minor drops. The phone features a form factor that is comfortable to hold, with dimensions of 155 x 73.9 x 7.8mm and a weight of 180g. The slim profile and minimal bezels contribute to its overall aesthetics, providing an immersive viewing experience on the 6.1-inch OLED display.

The finishing touches on the Huawei P20 Pro are meticulous, with attention to detail evident in every aspect. The placement of buttons and controls is well thought out, allowing for easy and intuitive navigation. The device's IP67 rating adds to its robustness, making it resistant to dust and water up to a depth of 1m for 30 minutes. The back panel houses the impressive triple camera setup, designed in collaboration with Leica optics, which adds to its visual appeal.

The Huawei P20 Pro offers a good grip that enhances one-handed usability, and its slim profile and lightweight construction make it highly portable. The device's ergonomic design ensures a comfortable user experience, even during prolonged use. Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro's design and build quality combine aesthetics, durability, and functionality, making it a standout device in the smartphone market.

Display

The Huawei P20 Pro features a 6.1-inch OLED display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2240 pixels and an aspect ratio of 18.7:9. The OLED technology used in the display delivers deep blacks and vibrant colors, making content visually appealing. The color accuracy and vibrancy are commendable, providing a rich and immersive viewing experience.

The display of the Huawei P20 Pro offers excellent brightness levels, ensuring good visibility even under direct sunlight. The outdoor visibility is further enhanced by the device's ability to automatically adjust the screen brightness based on ambient lighting conditions through its adaptive brightness feature. Additionally, the anti-reflective coating helps minimize glare, allowing for comfortable usage outdoors.

To protect the display from scratches and accidental damage, the Huawei P20 Pro comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 5. This provides a durable and reliable protection layer for everyday use. The pixel density of the display is approximately 408 pixels per inch, resulting in sharp and detailed visuals.

Although the refresh rate of the display is not explicitly mentioned, the Huawei P20 Pro offers smooth and responsive touch interactions, ensuring a seamless user experience. The wide color gamut and high dynamic range (HDR) support contribute to a more lifelike and captivating display, with enhanced contrast and vivid colors.

The viewing angles of the Huawei P20 Pro's display are wide, allowing for comfortable viewing from various angles without significant color distortion. The device also features an always-on display, which provides quick access to information such as time, date, and notifications without fully waking up the device.

Additionally, the Huawei P20 Pro offers a blue light filter feature, reducing the amount of blue light emitted by the display to minimize eye strain during prolonged usage. Users can also calibrate the screen to their preferences, adjusting color temperature and saturation.

In terms of design, the Huawei P20 Pro has a notch at the top of the display, housing the front camera and sensors. The bezels surrounding the display are slim, contributing to a high screen-to-body ratio and a more immersive viewing experience.

Performance

The performance of the Huawei P20 Pro is exceptional, thanks to its powerful chipset and GPU. The device is equipped with a Kirin 970 chipset, which is built on a 10nm process. This octa-core processor consists of four Cortex-A73 cores clocked at 2.4 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz. The GPU is a Mali-G72 MP12, which delivers excellent graphics performance.

In benchmark tests, the Huawei P20 Pro has consistently scored high, showcasing its impressive capabilities. The device performs exceptionally well in CPU benchmarks, demonstrating its processing power and efficiency. It excels in multitasking performance, allowing users to seamlessly switch between applications without any lag or slowdown.

Gaming on the Huawei P20 Pro is a delight, as it offers smooth and lag-free performance. The powerful GPU ensures that graphics-intensive games run flawlessly, providing an immersive gaming experience. The device performs admirably in gaming benchmarks, achieving high scores in graphics tests.

The P20 Pro also excels in app loading speeds, ensuring that users can swiftly launch their favorite applications. The device's system optimization ensures a smooth user experience, with no noticeable hiccups or stutters. It efficiently manages thermal performance, preventing the device from overheating during extended gaming sessions or heavy usage.

The Huawei P20 Pro's performance is further supported by its impressive benchmark scores. It performs exceptionally well in synthetic benchmarks, further highlighting its processing prowess and overall efficiency. Users can expect a seamless and responsive experience, whether they are browsing the web, streaming media, or running demanding applications.

In conclusion, the Huawei P20 Pro offers outstanding performance across various metrics. Its powerful chipset, efficient GPU, and system optimization contribute to its smooth and lag-free performance. The device excels in CPU and gaming benchmarks, delivering impressive scores. Whether it's multitasking, gaming, or general usage, the Huawei P20 Pro provides a superior performance that caters to the needs of demanding users.

Software and User Interface

The Huawei P20 Pro runs on the Android operating system, specifically Android 8.1 Oreo, with the option to upgrade to Android 10 and EMUI 12. The device is powered by Huawei's own Kirin 970 chipset, which delivers impressive performance for everyday tasks and multitasking. The software on the P20 Pro offers a user-friendly interface with a range of customization options to suit individual preferences.

One notable aspect of the software is the EMUI (Emotion UI) skin that Huawei has implemented on top of Android. EMUI adds its own unique features and design elements to enhance the user experience. It offers a clean and intuitive interface with smooth animations and transitions. The interface is easy to navigate, making it simple for users to access various settings and features.

In terms of pre-installed apps, the Huawei P20 Pro comes with a selection of useful applications that cater to different needs. These include Huawei's own apps such as the Huawei AppGallery, which serves as an alternative to the Google Play Store, as well as apps like Huawei Health for fitness tracking and Huawei Cloud for cloud storage. While these apps can be beneficial, some users may consider certain pre-installed apps as bloatware if they don't find them necessary.

Huawei's software also includes various optimizations and features to enhance the overall user experience. One notable feature is the AI-driven camera system, which utilizes artificial intelligence to improve the quality of photos and videos. The camera app itself is intuitive and easy to use, offering a range of shooting modes and settings for users to capture their desired shots.

Overall, the software on the Huawei P20 Pro offers a user-friendly experience with a range of customization options and useful pre-installed apps. The EMUI skin adds its own unique features and design elements, while the AI-driven camera system enhances the photography capabilities of the device. However, some users may find certain pre-installed apps to be unnecessary.

Camera

The camera of the Huawei P20 Pro is one of its standout features, boasting an impressive triple-camera setup. The main camera is a 40-megapixel shooter with a wide aperture of f/1.8, a focal length of 27mm, and a large 1/1.7" sensor size. This combination allows for exceptional image quality, especially in daylight photography where colors are reproduced naturally and with great sharpness. The camera also excels in low-light performance, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and advanced noise reduction algorithms. Additionally, the P20 Pro offers a dedicated night mode, which further enhances its capabilities for night photography by capturing more details and reducing noise.

The camera features of the P20 Pro include AI scene recognition, which automatically adjusts the camera settings based on the scene being captured, ensuring optimal results in various scenarios. The device also offers a portrait mode, which allows for stunning bokeh effects and professional-looking portraits. HDR and panorama modes are available for capturing wide dynamic range scenes and expansive landscapes, respectively.

When it comes to video recording, the P20 Pro supports 4K video capture with excellent video stabilization, ensuring smooth and steady footage. Slow-motion video and time-lapse modes are also available, offering creative options for capturing captivating moments. The device supports various video formats, providing flexibility in sharing and editing videos.

Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro's camera is a versatile and powerful tool, delivering exceptional image and video quality in various lighting conditions. Whether it's capturing stunning landscapes, beautiful portraits, or recording high-quality videos, the P20 Pro's camera is sure to impress.

Battery Life

The Huawei P20 Pro boasts a non-removable Li-Po 4000 mAh battery, which offers impressive battery life. Users can expect a decent screen-on time and standby time, ensuring that the device lasts throughout the day with moderate to heavy usage. The battery capacity is sufficient to handle demanding tasks and power-hungry apps. Additionally, the P20 Pro supports fast charging technology, allowing users to quickly charge their device. With the included charger, it can reach up to 58% in just 30 minutes. The device also supports wireless charging options, providing convenience to users who prefer a cable-free charging experience. Huawei has implemented battery optimization features, which help in maximizing power efficiency and extending battery life. The battery management system ensures efficient battery usage and minimizes battery drain. Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro offers a reliable battery performance, catering to the needs of users who require a long-lasting battery backup.

Connectivity and Networking

The Huawei P20 Pro offers a wide range of connectivity options to ensure a seamless experience for its users. It supports various network compatibilities, including GSM, HSPA, and LTE, allowing for fast and reliable data speeds. With its dual SIM capability, users have the flexibility to use two different SIM cards simultaneously.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the P20 Pro supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, ensuring compatibility with different Wi-Fi standards. This means users can connect to any Wi-Fi network with ease and enjoy fast internet speeds. The device also supports Wi-Fi Direct, which enables direct file transfers between compatible devices without the need for an internet connection.

Bluetooth 4.2 is available on the P20 Pro, providing reliable and efficient wireless communication with other Bluetooth-enabled devices. This allows for seamless file transfers, wireless audio streaming, and connectivity with a wide range of accessories.

NFC is another connectivity feature available on the P20 Pro, enabling convenient contactless payments and easy pairing with compatible devices. Additionally, the device comes with a USB Type-C 3.1 port, offering fast data transfer speeds and quick charging capabilities.

For navigation and location services, the P20 Pro includes GPS, GLONASS, and GALILEO. These satellite navigation systems ensure accurate positioning and reliable navigation in various environments.

Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, making it a versatile and connected device for its users. Whether it's browsing the internet, transferring files, or staying connected on the go, the P20 Pro provides the necessary tools to stay connected effortlessly.

Additional Features

The Huawei P20 Pro comes with some standout features that elevate it above other smartphones on the market. One of the notable features is its water and dust resistance. With an IP67 rating, the P20 Pro can withstand being submerged in water up to 1 meter deep for 30 minutes. This makes it a great choice for outdoor enthusiasts or those who are prone to accidents involving liquids.

In addition to its water and dust resistance, the P20 Pro also supports Qi wireless charging. This means you can simply place your phone on a compatible wireless charging pad to charge it without the need for any cables. This feature adds convenience and reduces clutter.

The P20 Pro is equipped with a range of advanced sensors, including an accelerometer and gyroscope. These sensors enable features such as screen rotation and motion-based gaming. The phone also includes additional sensors, such as a proximity sensor and a compass, which enhance its functionality and user experience.

Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro offers a compelling package of features, including water resistance, wireless charging, and a suite of advanced sensors. These features make it a versatile and reliable choice for users seeking a high-quality smartphone.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Huawei P20 Pro has made a significant impact in the smartphone market with its impressive specifications and features. When comparing the P20 Pro with related gadgets, it stands out as a strong competitor in terms of performance, camera capabilities, and overall value for money.

In terms of camera quality, the P20 Pro sets itself apart from the competition. With its triple camera setup, including a 40MP main camera, an 8MP telephoto lens, and a 20MP monochrome lens, it offers exceptional photography capabilities. The Leica optics and advanced features like AI image stabilization and super slow-motion recording make it a top choice for photography enthusiasts. In comparison, devices like the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy S9+ have excellent cameras but cannot match the P20 Pro's versatility and image quality.

When it comes to performance, the P20 Pro is equipped with a Kirin 970 chipset and 6GB or 8GB of RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and efficient performance. It holds its ground against competitors like the Google Pixel 2 XL and OnePlus 6, which also offer flagship-level performance.

In terms of unique features, the P20 Pro's AI capabilities set it apart. The device can recognize scenes and adjust camera settings accordingly, providing users with enhanced photography experiences. Additionally, the P20 Pro's AI-powered facial recognition technology offers fast and secure unlocking, similar to the iPhone X's Face ID.

From a pricing perspective, the P20 Pro offers a competitive edge. With a price range of around 410 EUR, it provides impressive value for money compared to similar flagship devices like the iPhone X and Samsung Galaxy Note 9, which are significantly more expensive.

In terms of market competition and positioning, the P20 Pro has gained a notable market share, especially in regions where Huawei has a strong presence. Its competitive advantage lies in its camera technology, AI capabilities, and attractive pricing strategy.

Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro stands out as a top contender in the smartphone market. Its exceptional camera capabilities, strong performance, unique features, and competitive pricing make it a compelling choice for consumers looking for a high-quality smartphone experience.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Huawei P20 Pro is a remarkable smartphone that offers cutting-edge features and impressive performance. With its sleek design and IP67 water and dust resistance, it is both aesthetically pleasing and durable. The OLED display provides vibrant colors and sharp visuals, while the Kirin 970 chipset ensures smooth multitasking and gaming. The standout feature of the P20 Pro is its triple camera setup, developed in collaboration with Leica, which captures stunning photos and videos in various lighting conditions. Additionally, the large battery capacity and fast charging capabilities make it a reliable companion throughout the day. Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro is a top-tier device that will undoubtedly satisfy the needs of discerning smartphone buyers.