Huawei is trying to one-up Samsung & Apple by launching the P20 Pro with a triple camera setup instead of the regular 2018 dual cameras. Ignoring the fact that you can’t download the VLC player on new phones (there are tons of other options), let's check how the P20 Pro fairs…
It’s one of the most stunning looking phones ever, thanks to the beautiful twilight back (other colours are black, blue & rose gold) & the front has an edge to edge display, much like Apple’s iPhone X, except this time with a home button.
The 6.1” screen at the front is a slick OLED with 18.7:9 ration. With space for the 24MP front camera & the earpiece a the top of the screen. The display still could’ve been brighter, especially when you use it outdoors during daylight hours, it could be a struggle. The P20 is water & dust resistant thanks to IP67 certification but it’s not foolproof, don’t take it for a swim! There’s no headphone jack since Type C is the way forward for most manufacturers.
The 3 cameras are smart, powerful & awesome at the same time. The Leica camera system has a 40MP RGB lens, a 20MP monochrome lens & an 8MP telephoto lens that some might say is overkill, but it does the job perfectly. I wouldn’t say they are better than the S9+ or Pixel 2 or even the iPhone X, but it can get really tough to decide amongst them. There’s a Master AI feature that automatically detects what’s being shot, be it a human, object or scenery and accordingly changes presets it thinks is best suited for the occasion to give you that perfect picture. Special mention to the spectacular Night mode that is currently the best there is. With 3X optical & 5X digital zoom, there’s nothing the P20 Pro can’t capture.
Finally, the front 24MP is maybe too much since even 8MP camera selfies are good enough for Instagramming, the P20 Pro still fails against the Pixel 2 on that front. With 6GB RAM & 128GB storage (no Micro SD slot) powered by the Kirin 970, it’s still not as Snappy as the phones with the Snapdragon 845. In short, PubG & Asphalt 9 might drop frames but you may not notice them unless you’ve played it on other powerful phones.
Running on Android 8.1 with EMUI (which is now better than ever before and does not look childish anymore) it’s a good combo but misses major customisation options, unlike the OnePlus 6. The best thing on the phone after the cameras is the 4000 mAh battery that keeps you going up to 2 days with ‘normal’ use. That is unheard of in a phone with this screen size & display quality. Quick Charge 3.0 for a full charge in 2 hrs is a good move. Even then some shortcomings P20 Pro is a bold move by Huawei & is in a league of its own. If you love Android & photography is what you dig, look no further!
★★★★★
Pritesh Khilnani
Huawei P20 Pro at CeX
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