Huawei has set out to give the user options with its new P-series models. This 2018, the Huawei P20 series is not composed of the basic model and the Lite version as in previous years. This duo has been joined by the Huawei P20 Pro that we already tested. Today it’s the turn of the Huawei P20, with a new design and double camera, and we’re going to tell you what we think of it and what its role is in the high range of reference of 2018.
Huawei P20 Datasheet
Despite having travel companions both above and below, the Huawei P20’s credentials are worthy of a high range 2018 that aims to convince the most demanding users, also playing the trick of a price slightly more contained than usual in the franchise.
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| HUAWEI P20 | |
|---|---|
| DIMENSIONS | 149.1×70.8×7.65 mm // 165 grams |
| SCREEN | IPS of 5.8 inches with resolution 2,244 x 1,080 points (428 ppi) and 18.7: 9 aspect ratio |
| PROCESSOR | HiSilicon Kirin 970 + NPU |
| GPU | Mali G72MP12 |
| RAM | 4 GB RAM |
| SECONDARY STORAGE | 128 GB |
| DOUBLE BACK CAMERA | Monochrome sensor of 20 Megapixels (f / 1.6). 20 Megapixel RGB sensor (f1.8) |
| FRONTAL CAMERA | 24 Megapixels f / 2.0 |
| SOUND | Stereo speakers Processed Dolby Atmos. Bluetooth AptX HD, LDAC and LHD |
| WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY | 4×4 MIMO cat. 18 up to 1.2 Gbps, Bluetooth 4.2 and WiFi 802.11ac |
| OS | Android 8.1 |
| INTERFACE | EMUI 8.1 |
| BATTERY | 3,400 mAh and supercharge at 4,5V / 5A |
| CHASSIS | Unibody glass and aluminium. No water resistance |
| COLORS | Black, blue, pink, gold and Twilight |
| PRICE | 550 euros |
Notch and front fingerprint sensor: anything is possible
After a couple of generations with a design quite identifiable to the naked eye, the P20 series has adopted major changes but without radicalizations. With the Huawei P10, we came with a very interesting design, delicate but robust and with high-level details in the finish, something that Huawei has made a mark of the house from its most modest models. However, for me, the design of this Huawei P20 is far superior to anything else.
As with other brands, the new colours, especially the blue we’ve had the chance to try, is very eye-catching without being too shrill, and are aimed at the fashionable shine.
Change of design in the back, with the glass and shine as protagonists
The appearance is new but comes from a thoughtful, calm evolution that maintains some signs of differentiation. The Huawei P20 doesn’t let itself be completely carried away by the fashion of the front where everything is screen and it is the most balanced in design, finish dimensions and functionality.
The use of glass and metal frame metal look great on this model, and there are tasteful details and maximum care everywhere, although we do not understand that this model does not have water resistance. Personally, I find interesting the rounded frame that does not seek to integrate into the view with the front but a very attractive separation. In hand, its light weight and thickness coupled with its narrow design make it very manageable, and despite the use of glass, there is no fingerprint magnet on the back that otherwise slides something of the hand on those soft and curved edges.
The Huawei P20 keeps the fingerprint reader on the front, minimizes frames, adopts elongated format and includes notch: a very well-solved four-in-one
From this rear part, the arrangement of the elements is quite striking. The cameras are no longer at the top, glued to the edge as in the previous generation, but are moved to the side and in portrait format. Viewed in passion and from behind, even the placement of the camera’s brand and information seems to simulate that of a camera. Seen in this light, we’ve only missed one physical trigger button at the bottom right.
On the cameras, it’s obvious that they stand out, and it’s a glitch to put to the design not so much for appearance as because when we have it on the table and try to handle it, it limps. Not worryingly but uncomfortably.
In the Huawei P20, there is no juggling in the design exclusively for the sake of appearance at all costs, except perhaps for the use of the notch for the top, right in the area of the front camera. We’ll talk about that later.
The frames, without disappearing as in the Galaxy S9+ due to the lack of a curved screen, are visually non-existent on the sides. And at the bottom, in a minimal space, we find the fingerprint sensor. And I think it’s a good idea.
Front fingerprint sensor but also face recognition
2018, the elongated formats and the “full screen” blurring, and Huawei goes and maintains his idea that the fingerprint reader can remain on the front without sacrificing too much screen percentage. With the Mate, we have already seen that it is effective, and in this P20 we are staying with the same idea and results. Until, hopefully, that sensor arrives under the screen, Huawei’s Solomonic solution seems very brave to me.
The space that Huawei leaves for the reader at the bottom is minimal, barely more than the space we have in most terminals that boast a full-screen front panel, but it is enough to have a quick unlocking system there, which is not a problem because of its size and which we can even use with the terminal on the table.
This reader also serves as a navigation button if we enable it in the system, which allows us to dispense with the virtual controls on the screen.
Where others do not dare to leave the fingerprint reader, the Huawei P20 keeps it with very good results and without the percentage of the screen is significantly affected.
But the fingerprint sensor is not the only biometric system we can identify with conveniently and securely in this Huawei P20. Face identification is also included by means of the front camera, 24 MP and f2.0 and with which we scan our face in the configuration, always recommended with enough light or the system will not leave us.
From there, when we pick up the terminal, the system will try to identify our face as soon as the screen is activated, which happens both when we press the start button and when we lift the Huawei P20 from the table (only if we have that option activated, which is in the Intelligent Assistance configuration).
Face recognition of the Huawei P20 generally works well. In most situations, it is fast, even if the terminal is in front of your face and you press the side power button, you are already identified when the screen is turned on, although it usually happens when you lift it in front of you, like a second before you are inside.
In addition to the fingerprint reader, the Huawei P20 includes face recognition that has pleasantly surprised us.
In controlled lighting situations there are no problems or excessive failures, but both indoors and outdoors in low light you can see that the system has room for improvement, although it is perfectly feasible to be using it continuously and regularly.
IPS panel security
Besides the diagonal screen, which is somewhat smaller on this Huawei P20, the technology chosen by the Asian manufacturer for this model is not AMOLED as on the P20 Pro. Interestingly, it is one of the few occasions in which it does not matter because in both cases the level of quality is very high.
In this Huawei P20 the screen is very well balanced: almost six inches (5.8 inches) with IPS technology and a resolution of 2244×1080 in almost 18:9 format and with the pixel density of 428 dpi.
Outside, it is the IPS panels that offer the best visibility. In the midday photo sessions, with the sun in all its splendour, we had no problem managing the terminal without any problem, so very well for the brightness level of this screen that, while not AMOLED, has nothing to envy if you prefer to opt for this terminal. It’s not the screen you’re going for that big brother of the family for.
The IPS panel, with more clarity than the AMOLED of the P20 Pro model, has surprised us very pleasantly outdoors thanks to its brightness level.
Despite being a quality IPS panel, Huawei does not leave out something that is a mark of the house and its software layer: customization. The screen can be modified in many parameters, including the mode (normal or vivid, the second one is recommended because it does not denature) or the colour temperature. As it is calibrated at the factory, we found it very suitable.
Options include improvements to the blue filter for when you want to use the terminal to read, as well as the Natural Tone mode that automatically adjusts the colour temperature according to the ambient light. We like the latter mode and when you turn it off, especially indoors at night, the too cold and bluish tone is even aggressive.
A removable notch
Speaking of the screen, the notch comes into play. Few elements of a terminal generate as much debate and confrontational positions as this one. On the Huawei P20, as on its older and younger brothers, this notch doesn’t look bad. It is quite small in size and covers only the front camera and the loudspeaker, small in size and circular in size, despite the fact that listening to conversations is correct.
If we prefer not to have this notch for whatever reason, in the display options we can have the side gaps filled in black to remove it. Although in our case it is an element that does not bother us, to give the user the option and that he has the last decision is always to thank and praise.
notch or not
With or without the notch, the screen looks great.
As we saw in the review of the Huawei P20 Pro, in its corresponding section, there is still a way to optimize and adapt many applications, but that the notch is already fully integrated into the system is of great help. Although we find applications where we lose options or we find them impractical because of that notch we understand that it can make anyone desperate, no matter how “notch friendly” it may be.
Like it or not, love it or hate it, the notch comes to the Android range, in many cases optionally, as in this Huawei P20.
Seeing how the ghost notch looks on the Huawei P20, I’m pretty sure that giving the option to have it or not by a camouflage disappearance trick is going to be one of the most popular things we see in many Android ranges in the coming months. Whether we like it or not, this eyebrow is on the lips of many users and to offer it, beyond the little functional space we gain on the screen, is something that a certain sector of telephony may want for its terminal, to have the feeling of an advanced and modern telephone.
Two more details on the screen. For those who are fans of the LED notifications, there is a very small but sufficiently recognizable one right in the middle and above the camera and speaker located in the notch. Secondly, from the screen, we miss the possibility of activating it with a double touch on it, a gesture that we try by inertia in all the terminals that fall into our hands, but at least we still have the possibility of activating it when we take the terminal from the table.
Less RAM but plenty of power
Despite being a 2018 model, the top Huawei P20s are not new to the Huawei processor but adapt to the best the manufacturer has at the moment: the Kirin 970. In this Huawei P20 the difference with the Pro model and in general with the high range of other manufacturers is in the RAM memory, which remains at 4 GB, a figure that right now is enough to give us the same fluidity in everything we do as any other high range, but that in the long term may end up taking its toll.
In the usual synthetic tests to which we subject the terminals in our reviews, the Huawei P20 is in a very good position, something that translates effectively in the experience with the terminal, without a glitch to put to performance level, although with some warm-up as soon as we demand it.
In this configuration, the standard internal memory is no less than 128 GB, sufficient for a large number of users but which, in any case, does not support expansion with microSD cards. As standard, with the system, shipped fresh from the factory, the remaining space for the user is one 115 GB.
Android 8.1 under an intense layer
Part of this non-free capacity is occupied by the applications that come standard on the terminal and all the customization that includes the EMUI layer on Android. Here, as it should be mandatory, we have the latest version of Android, 8.1, ready to use.
We won’t find out anything about EMUI at this point. Huawei plays, I think, with the advantage that the Lite terminal park is high in some markets, and therefore, its customization on Android, known. If we choose it, we shouldn’t be surprised: it’s currently the most widely known layer that differs in appearance from native Android. Enough to make a purchase decision? Probably not for the general public but it’s not a detail that other users won’t take into account.
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| HUAWEI P20 | HUAWEI P20 PRO | SONY XPERIA XZ2 | SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 + | IPHONE X | XIAOMI MI MIX 2S | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROCESSOR | Kirin 970 | Kirin 970 | Snapdragon 845 | Exynos 9810 | Apple A11 Bionic | Snapdragon 845 |
| RAM | 4GB | 6 GB | 4GB | 6 GB | 3 GB | 8 GB |
| ANTUTU | 207,738 | 207.107 | 267,419 | 253,740 | 214,526 | 258,860 |
| GEEKBENCH 4 (SINGLE / MULTI) | 1,892 / 6,711 | 1,609 / 6,816 | 2.415 / 8.513 | 3,781 / 8,942 | 1.921 / 6.729 | 2.445 / 8.405 |
| PCMARK WORK | 6999 | 7.185 | 7,983 | 5,067 | – | 8.247 |
| 3DMARK (ICE STORM) | 30,745 | 30.168 | 61,119 | 36,685 | 62,297 | – |
Interface 1
Otherwise we have quite a few standard applications installed and that we cannot uninstall, interface reloaded in the options, memory management services, twin apps, virtual dock and much possible customization on the behavior of items such as notifications or terminal actions.
Less weight, less battery, less autonomy
The considerable weight loss of the Huawei P20 compared to the Pro model has the main protagonist: the capacity of the battery. Here we do not exceed 3400 mAh, which effectively translates into a fair use day. In our test, without abusing the screen (4 hours on average), we have been able to reach the end of the day most of the time, but the last few videos and social outbursts online on the sofa or in bed were already asking for a refill.
To do this, despite the fact that it has a glass back, there is no possibility of wireless charging. So we only have the USB-C port, located at the bottom (where there is no 3.5 mm headphone port, by the way) and which, by means of fast charging, we can reach 50% (from 5% and with the terminal on and with Wifi) in 48 minutes. Full charge ends after just two hours.
In addition to the energy-saving modes (including lowering the resolution that has no real effect on a range), the information on battery usage is quite comprehensive, so we can see in detail what applications, services or items on our phone may be wreaking havoc on the range.
A double camera that doesn’t fear dark scenes
Although the Huawei P20’s camera may seem to be overshadowed by the forcefulness of the Pro model’s triple camera that we liked so much, the Huawei P20’s dual sensor has a place among the best of the year in its own right. There is no “optical” or mixed zoom of as much packaging as with the Pro model (here we are left with a 2X model that does cropping), but it is almost the only thing we lose.
2X digital zoom
After playing a lot with the Huawei P20 camera these weeks, the strong points are clear: the detail of its 20 MP monochrome sensor and the good work of the main RGB in almost every situation.