After 9 hours of research and analysis of 15 models from this manufacturer's range, we have determined that the most interesting model is the Huawei P30 .
It offers excellent value for money by mixing top-notch
photo quality with consistently satisfying performance. Although it is of
previous generation, it still rivals newer models.
Huawei p30
Here is an old top of the range that has not aged a bit.
It offers good performance both in photos and to launch your favorite
applications with, as a bonus, high endurance.
399.00 € at Amazon
Little brother of the Pro version, the “normal” P30 has
managed to make its own place in the market, with a level of performance that
places it at the forefront of its category. It also benefits from the latest
version of Android and its Google Apps, which allows it to fill its biggest
flaw which was an aging interface.
Huawei P Smart
With its high build quality and sober design, this
smartphone stands out from the competition by offering very high battery life
and a good screen. It should be reserved for more basic uses.
169.00 € at Amazon
Designed for people looking for a simple and effective
solution, the P Smart, in its 2019 version, is a qualitative and relatively
efficient solution. It will certainly be difficult to launch the last very
greedy games and its photo qualities can be improved, but that is not why it
was designed. Indeed, it imposes itself especially by its high autonomy and its
well thought out ergonomics.
Huawei p30 pro
This excellent photophone features high performance that
makes it an example of versatility. As a bonus, it benefits from a long
endurance, which makes it a very good solution for the most demanding.
545.00 € at Amazon
This boosted version of the P30 is revealed in a similar
design. It stands out from its little brother by its even higher photo quality,
which has also long served as a benchmark among the best photo smartphones . As
a bonus, its screen is still as neat and its handling improves further with curved
edges.
Huawei P30 Lite
This model incorporates the codes of the range with a
high quality of manufacture and a good screen. It also benefits from good photo
versatility, which allows it to adapt easily.
218.98 € at Amazon
With its high build quality and photo versatility, the
P30 Lite had it all. Unfortunately, these qualities necessarily involve
sacrifices on other points. This is reflected with mixed performance and
limited photo quality. It even presents, in our eyes, a less good quality /
price ratio than a model which is not supposed, originally, to overshadow it.
Huawei mate 20
Arrived shortly after the P30, this model offers high
performance and a triple photo sensor for a balanced setup. It stands out
mainly thanks to its exceptional endurance for its price range.
380.54 € at Amazon
In the Huawei logic, the Mate series comes to pose as
the phablet of the brand. The 20 series is no exception to the rule and presents
itself as a qualitative solution for lovers of large screens. However, the
standard version is less powerful than its cousin, with a camera that would
have required more attention and the absence of an OLED panel. The Pro version
, much more advanced, is to be favored in case of big promotions.
Huawei p40 pro
The latest model of the brand, it improves on the recipe
of the previous version by offering even higher photo quality, high performance
and access to new mobile data standards.
690.00 € at Amazon
This very good table hides an equally strong flaw: the
absence of Google services. Huawei is trying to make up for this by rapidly
developing its own store, but unfortunately it will still take some time to
compete with the California giant. However, this does not take away all of its
qualities from the P40 Pro, which remains an excellent smartphone, if you can
ignore certain applications.
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fund our work while remaining completely impartial. Learn more .
How did we make our choice?
The range of this manufacturer continues to expand this
year with the arrival of a wide variety of models often competing. It is
therefore extremely difficult to determine which one to favor. In addition, the
recent US embargo condemned Huawei to part ways with Google for its new models,
which shoots one of the world's largest smartphone manufacturers in the foot.
To help you better understand all this, we have
determined the criteria to take into account before making your choice:
Performance : it is mainly determined by the processor
and the amount of RAM memory in your device. They affect the speed and fluidity
of the various applications that you install. With top-notch components, you
can enjoy the latest games, quickly launch a photo editing application, or jump
from task to task quickly. At Huawei, the top of the range is the Kirin 990.
The screen : it is defined by several elements, namely
the size, the type of panel and the calibration. The first depends on your
tastes and needs. The second is rather influenced by your budget, but we advise
you to aim for an OLED solution, much more qualitative and practical on a daily
basis. The calibration is a question of manufacturer settings and determines
the fidelity of the display on the basis of the delta E (the measurement of the
difference between a color and its rendering, for which it is necessary to aim
for a maximum of 3), the contrast and the maximum brightness.
Photo quality:
having a whole battery of sensors is useless if they are not used well by your
device. We must therefore focus on the management of white balance, contrast
and colors so that your shots are as qualitative as possible. We must also
check the low-light performance, which is the weak point of many smartphones.
If this criterion is essential for you, consult our comparison of the best
smartphones for the photo .
Ergonomics : it is based on the grip and ease of use of
the phone. Thus, certain solutions are to be favored over others. For example,
a glass back is beautiful but slippery, metal is stronger but heats up faster,
and plastic is more affordable but less stylish. At the same time, the position
of the buttons and the unlocking methods must be effective to offer you the
best possible experience.
Autonomy : for many years, the weak point of smartphones
has been their battery. However, for some time now, it is not uncommon to see
several models achieve endurance of 2 to 3 days. As a bonus, fast charging,
increasingly efficient, can charge the best models in less than an hour.
Generally, lower-end smartphones are more enduring than their higher-end
counterparts.
After going through numerous tests carried out on the
Internet, analyzing the technical sheet of each product, consulting the
opinions of French and English-speaking users and ensuring the legitimacy of
these comments, we were able to determine the 6 best Huawei smartphones of the
moment.
Huawei p30
Here is an old top of the range that has not aged a bit.
It offers good performance both in photos and to launch your favorite
applications with, as a bonus, high endurance.
399.00 € at Amazon
Little brother of the Pro version, the “normal” P30 has
managed to make its own place in the market, with a level of performance that
places it at the forefront of its category. It also benefits from the latest
version of Android and its Google Apps, which allows it to fill its biggest
flaw which was an aging interface.
Component side, the Kirin 980 is in the game.
Accompanied by 6 GB of RAM, it is always difficult to fault. It can run the
most demanding games in the PlayStore without any hassle. The storage here
extends to 128 GB.
We are dealing here with a beautiful 6.1 ”OLED screen.
Its brightness and contrasts are still excellent, as is its general
colorimetry. Be sure to go through the settings to get an even better
rendering.
And the photo in all this? This is probably the point on
which Huawei has based its promotional campaign the most, highlighting the
performance of the triple sensor (40, 16 and 8 Mpx). It relies on Pixel Bining
to produce 10MP snapshots (4 pixels are combined to form one).
In bright light, the result is faithful, balanced and
detailed, and less saturated than some of its competitors. In low light, it is
also among the best in part thanks to its SuperSpectrum sensor which captures
much more light than a conventional lens while reaching very high
sensitivities.
On the design side, there is nothing to complain about,
with impeccable finishes and an even better optimized edge / screen ratio:
glass shell, no more visible fingerprint sensor, notch reduced to a drop of
water and grouped back lenses in a vertical block. Its handling is also
improved thanks to its compact size.
However, two complaints can be addressed to him. It
ignores the presence of a microSD port by promoting the NanoMemory format and
wireless charging is absent.
Its autonomy, on the other hand, is very correct in view
of all that it embeds! You can count on around 2 days of use, which puts it on
the average for current smartphones.
In the end, here is an excellent smartphone in the
photo, all the more so when we see the decrease in price it has benefited from
in recent months, guaranteeing it our recommendation.
Huawei P Smart
With its high build quality and sober design, this
smartphone stands out from the competition by offering very high battery life
and a good screen. It should be reserved for more basic uses.
169.00 € at Amazon
Designed for people looking for a simple and effective
solution, the P Smart 2019 arises as a qualitative and relatively efficient
solution. It will certainly be difficult to launch heavy applications and its
qualities in photography can be improved, but that is not why it was designed.
Indeed, it imposes itself especially by its high autonomy and its well thought
out ergonomics.
Performance is ensured by the Kirin 710 coupled with 3
GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. If this duo is sufficient for normal use, it
will be less effective in games where the latest titles require graphic
concessions to run. Heavy applications can also be a problem. The latest
version of Android is scheduled for this year but no specific date has been
announced. .
The screen has a 6.21 ”IPS panel and 2340 × 1080
resolution. It has a notch whose size has been reduced as much as possible. The
display is of good quality but it is necessary to make a small passage through
the parameters to optimize the colorimetry. In this case, the results are
flawless with a delta E of 1.6 and an almost perfect temperature.
On the other hand, the contrast is quite low with a
value of 1100: 1 and the brightness does not improve. Fortunately, the low
reflectance of the set allows it to be used outdoors, even in direct sunlight.
For the photo, you have a double sensor of 13 and 2 Mpx.
During the day, the result is good even if it is criticized for a slight lack
of sharpness and contrast which creates a rather flat result. On the other
hand, at night, there is a glaring lack of detail and omnipresent digital
noise. The forehead device offers similar results.
Ergonomics is a point where Huawei always manages to
offer good solutions. The P Smart has a domed plastic back that allows for a
better grip. The terminal is rather light (160 g) and compact. Its dorsal
fingerprint sensor falls easily under the finger while being fast and
efficient. However, its large screen makes it difficult to use with one hand.
Side autonomy, we are entitled to an endurance of 2 full
days and a full charge only takes a little more than 2 hours. The connection is
quite simplistic with a micro USB port, mini jack, micro SD port and NFC.
Huawei p30 pro
This excellent photophone features high performance that
makes it an example of versatility. As a bonus, it benefits from a long
endurance, which makes it a very good solution for the most demanding.
545.00 € at Amazon
This boosted version of the P30 is revealed in a design
that is still as attractive. It stands out from its little brother by its even
higher photo quality, which has also long served as a benchmark. As a bonus,
its screen is still as neat and its handling improves further with curved edges.
Although it is from the previous generation, this model
still has good assets: a powerful processor (Kirin 980) and 8 GB of RAM. They
are combined with 128 GB storage (expandable via NanoMemory). It offers good
fluidity both in standard use and with the latest 3D games from the Play Store.
The heating is, as a bonus, well controlled.
Its screen is a 6.47 ”FHD + OLED panel. It is posed as
one of the best thanks to its studied calibration (dE 2.6 and almost perfect
temperature), its high brightness and an infinite contrast, specific to this
technology.
These qualities are nothing compared to its main asset:
photography. Its four sensors guarantee it an impressive rendering that few
competitors have managed to achieve. It is equipped with a specific sensor, the
TOF, which allows better management of the depth of the shot for an even more
thorough rendering. Of course, the management of all the parameters is very
neat so that your shots are excellent.
Night quality is just as high thanks to “Super Spectrum”
technology. In terms of video, it can shoot in 4K. That's not all, it also
benefits from a digital zoom that can operate up to x50. At this stage, the
image is a little blurry but in x5 or x10, this zoom is flawless and quite rare
for a smartphone.
The grip is just as good as on the P30 but it is a bit
too heavy weight. Unlocking is done using the fingerprint sensor and / or 2D
facial recognition. Everything is responsive and pleasant to use. The device is
IP68 certified.
Its autonomy is just as excellent with an endurance of 2
full days. If you still run out of fuel, the Supercharge 2.0 (40W) allows you
to fully recharge it in just 50 minutes.
Ultimately, if you want a great camera phone that
doesn't sacrifice performance, go for the P30 Pro.
Huawei P30 Lite
This model incorporates the codes of the range with a
high quality of manufacture and a good screen. It also benefits from good photo
versatility, which allows it to adapt easily.
218.98 € at Amazon
With its high build quality and photo versatility, the
P30 Lite had it all. Unfortunately, these qualities necessarily involve
sacrifices on other points. This is reflected with mixed performance and
limited photo quality. It even presents, in our eyes, a less good quality /
price ratio than a model which is not supposed, originally, to overshadow it.
Like the P Smart, it is equipped with a Kirin 710 but
linked to 4 GB of RAM. The storage doubles for a total of 128 GB expandable via
micro SD. He does a little better in multitasking but has the same weaknesses
when asked for more. Android 10 is also planned this year.
The screen is also an IPS but this time with a diagonal
of 6.15 ”of similar resolution (2312 × 1080). It is of very good quality but
once again requires going through the parameters to be optimal. This results in
a very good calibration (dE 2.3 and almost perfect temperature) but it remains
less efficient than that of the P Smart with a lower contrast (997: 1). It is
still easy to use outdoors thanks to its low reflectance.
The photo part is composed of a triple sensor of 48, 8
and 2 Mpx. The main lens uses Pixel Bining to provide a better level of detail.
However, the lack of sharpness and contrast is still felt. The additional
objective is quite disappointing and the rendering can only be used in
favorable conditions (good light). The front lens is doing much better with
very good management of exposure and backlighting.
The real difference between the P30 Lite and the P Smart
comes from the construction. Indeed, the Lite takes the codes of its big
high-end brothers with more pleasant materials, exemplary finishes and optimal
ergonomics. The handling is also favored by its compact size.
Its autonomy is average even if it is below its direct competitors
from other brands (about 2 days of use). The charging time is quite correct
with around 1h30 to refuel. The connection is fairly standard with here the
USB-C and the jack.
Huawei mate 20
Arrived shortly after the P30, this model offers high
performance and a triple photo sensor for a balanced setup. It stands out
mainly thanks to its exceptional endurance for its price range.
380.54 € at Amazon
In the Huawei logic, the Mate 20 is posed as the phablet
of the brand and is presented as a qualitative solution for lovers of large
screens. However, the standard version is less efficient than its cousin with a
camera that would have required more attention and the absence of an OLED
panel. The Pro version , much more advanced, is to be favored in case of big
promotions.
This old top of the range is equipped with the Kirin 980
and 4 GB of RAM (6 GB for the Pro). The storage is 128 GB expandable… Via a NanoMemory
card. The power is still as good with performance similar to the P30 Pro. As a
result, no slowdown is to be reported, even though multitasking has less RAM to
shine.
The screen has IPS technology with a 6.53 ”panel with a
resolution of 2244 × 1080. It presents an excellent display quality with good
colorimetry and sufficient brightness. The contrast is a bit low when compared
to the competition's OLED (1153: 1). If you go with the Pro, you'll have a
perfectly balanced OLED display.
The photo is provided by a triple sensor of 12, 16 and 8
Mpx. The quality is very good even if, at the output, a little too aggressive
software processing was felt, resulting in a less natural rendering. According
to the latest information, the brand would have compensated for this defect.
The Mate 20 Pro is equipped with the same triple lens as the P30 Pro.
On the ergonomic side, we are entitled to a relatively
compact device with a correct weight (188 g). It is therefore pleasant to use.
The back fingerprint sensor is very responsive. The design is classic, and the
glass back, while pleasant to look at, tends to be slippery in addition to
retaining fingerprints. 2D facial recognition is also part of the game. She is
quite responsive and efficient. The phone is IP53 certified, a bit low.
The Mate 20 Pro has a fingerprint sensor under the
screen and 3D facial recognition, which is more precise and secure. However,
the additional sensors make its notch larger. The certification goes up here to
IP68.
Finally, its autonomy is its great quality with an
endurance of nearly 3 days in normal use! As a bonus, the fast charge allows
you to refuel in just 1.5 hours.
Huawei p40 pro
The latest model of the brand, it improves on the recipe
of the previous version by offering even higher photo quality, high performance
and access to new mobile data standards.
690.00 € at Amazon
The latest model of the brand, further improves on the
recipe of the previous version by offering improved photo quality, high
performance and access to new mobile data standards. This very good picture,
however, hides an equally strong flaw: the absence of Google services.
On the performance side, it is equipped with the brand's
latest processor, the Kirin 990, coupled with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of
storage, expandable via NanoMemory. It has excellent performance but remains
less efficient than a Snapdragon 865.
This smartphone has a 6.58 ”OLED panel curved on all 4
sides. It features a 90 Hz refresh rate for smoother display. Unfortunately, it
is a little weak compared to the 120 Hz of the competition ( Galaxy S20 Ultra
). The whole remains all the same of excellent quality with a careful
colorimetry (dE 3.77) and very good readability.
In photo, it improves the already excellent results of
the P30 Pro with a brand new module equipped with 4 sensors (50, 40.12 Mpx and
TOF). The rendering of your photos is natural and dynamic even if the colors
can appear a little too saturated. The other lenses do just as well and the 5x
and 10x hybrid zooms are excellent.
At night, the result is just as satisfying. You could
even say that the lens sees better than the human eye when it sees details in
the darkest scenes, especially in night mode.
At the software level, optimizations have also been
added with the dynamic image mode which allows to capture the image a few
seconds before and after the snapshot and another option to remove a passerby
from the photo.
Ergonomics are also an asset, even if the device is
quite large and heavy (208 g). Thanks to its rounded corners, its silky satin
back and the fingerprint sensor located a little higher, it is a real pleasure
to use. As a bonus, it is IP68 certified.
Endurance is as good as the rest of the phone, with a
battery life of 2-3 days and a charge in under an hour (70% in 30 min). It
accepts wireless charging up to 27W and can be used for reverse charging. The
connection presents the new standards with Wi-Fi 6 and 5G compatibility
(excluding millimeter waves).
However, despite all its superb qualities, a very big
black point tarnishes this picture: the absence of Google services. As a
result, you will no longer have access to all the applications linked to it.
And of course, the Play Store and its huge catalog is inaccessible. All you
have to do is turn to the brand's AppGallery, which is growing day by day.
Nevertheless, some unmissable ones are still missing,
like Netflix. To compensate, you have various solutions: PhoneClone, which
copies the data of your old device (and therefore the apps), TrouvApp, which
searches the net for the desired application (in complete safety) or then
additional solutions but more dangerous such as the use of an unofficial
alternative awning (Aptoide for example).
This therefore explains its position as an alternative
in our selection.
Honorable mentions
Huawei Mate XS : second version of the Chinese brand's
foldable smartphone, it corrects the errors of the original Mate X (not
available in Europe), with a new, more resistant hinge system. It of course
embeds the latest processor of the brand accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB
of storage. Its specific panel is fitted with a plastic coating and can be used
as a 6.6 ”and 6.38” double-sided screen or a large 8 ”screen
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