Huawei finally took the wraps off the Huawei P20 and Huawei P20 Pro today after weeks of leaks and teases. Even though we practically know all there is about both devices, they are nothing short of worth successors to the P10 series of 2017.
Huawei P20
The Huawei P20 has a 5.8” LCD display. Huawei has joined the notch train but its much smaller than that of the iPhone X. There is a circular speaker, sensors and a 24.8MP CMOS sensor within the notch.
The phone is powered by the Kirin 970 paired with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. There is no storage expansion slot.
For smartphones of this year, the focus is camera performance and the Huawei P20 doesn’t disappoint. Yet again, Huawei has partnered with Leica to work on the cameras and combines it with AI to take better pictures.
On the rear is a 20MP f/1.6 monochrome sensor paired with a 12MP f/1.8 RGB sensor. There are tons of new features bundled with the camera. Ultra Snapshot is for taking pictures in just 0.3 seconds even if the phone is locked, 4D predictive focus for taking photos of fast moving objects, 960 fps super slow motion video recording, and there is AI Image stabilization for blur-free low-light shots in night mode.
For portrait images, the P20 uses AI for portrait lighting giving your pictures studio-like lighting effects. The camera can also distinguish between 19 different categories when you want to take photos and then automatically adjusts to the best settings.
Huawei was proud to announce at the event that the P20 scored 107 points on DxOmark for photos and 94 points for videos for an overall score of 102. This places it above the Galaxy S9+, Pixel 2, Mate 10 Pro, and iPhone X.
The Huawei P20 has a 3400mh battery with support for Huawei’s SuperCharge fast charging technology. It runs Android 8.1 Oreo with EMUI 8.1 on top. It doesn’t have a 3.5mm audio jack but has a USB-C port. It also has an IP53 rating and a front mounted fingerprint scanner.
The phone will come in Twilight, Pink Gold, Midnight Blue, Black and Champagne Gold but not all will be available in all countries. It will sell for €649 and goes on sale today.
Huawei P20 Pro
The P20 Pro is the bigger sibling in all ways. From its 6.1” FHD+ OLED display, to its triple rear cameras and massive 4,000mAh battery, it truly is a Pro. It also has a different finish on the back which allows the color of the device to change depending on the angle at which light hits it.
The P20 Pro has the same Kirin 970 processor and 128GB of storage but comes with 6GB of RAM.
The cameras are the main focus. The rear camera is a 40MP RGB sensor and an 8MP telephoto lens which share the same housing. While a 20MP monochrome sensor sits separately.
The 8MP telephoto lens provides 3x optical zoom or 5x hybrid zoom. Huawei uses a technology called Light Fusion for capturing images with the 40MP sensor. What the sensor does is combine captured data from four different pixels into one. The result is sharper, brighter, and more detailed photos.
The P20 Pro also has all the AI features of the P20 mentioned above for better images such as image recognition and portrait mode.
The Huawei P20 Pro currently has the highest DxO Mark with 114 points for photos and 98 points for videos to give an overall score of 109 points.
The P20 Pro upgrades the IP53 rating to IP67. It also doesn’t have an audio jack or a MicroSD card slot. Juts like the P20, there is NFC, Bluetooth 4.2, and dual SIM or single SIM variants.
The Huawei P20 Pro is priced at €899 and will go on sale on April 6. It will be available in Black, Midnight Blue, Twilight, and Pink Gold. Included in the box of the P20 Pro (and P20) is a pair of USB-C earphones, charger, USB-C cable, protective case, and a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter.
New Accessories
Alongside the new phones, Huawei also announced three new accessories. There is the €159 Huawei FreeBuds which we want to believe is its own take on the Apple AirPods. Then there is the Huawei ANC Earphone which is priced at €79 and the Huaei Band 2 Pro priced at €99.
