- Analysis by KJ David
A follow-up to the 2017 P10, Huawei's P20, like most other entries in our list of the best camera smartphones, is a photography-first Android that banks heavily on its sophisticated rear and front cameras. Before we get to those pros, however, lets explore some of its weak points.
For starters, a couple of its slight cons can be found in the hardware department, namely, a 4GB-only RAM count and no more than 3400mAh of raw battery power . The former winds up as a small turn-off, knowing that a few of its flagship-caliber siblings under Huawei's 2018 catalog boast 6GB RAMs (its own Pro edition being one of them), not to mention that 8GB-RAM smartphones were starting to pick up some heat as of this specs-driven review. On the other hand, the latter shies of our 4000mAh sweet spot for high-caliber wide-screen smartphones.
The Huawei P20 is also far from being the fastest phablet on the market , seeing that its Kirin 970 eight-core engine peaks at 2.36GHz, which sounds rather sober compared to the 2.8GHz top speeds reached by some of the fastest smartphones on the market when it came out. Storage-wise, there's little room to complain about its 128GB inbuilt storage , although some upscale shoppers might find its lack of a microSD card slot repulsing.
Fortunately for the P20, its pros and cons aren't all about drawbacks, since it takes after its P10 predecessor by rocking a Dual Leica Camera -- this time consisting of a 12-megapixel f/1.6 RGB primary camera and a 20-megapixel monochrome deputy cam (for depth-of-field analysis). Among its key features are a bunch of AI technologies like AI-aided image stabilization and AI-driven 3D facial modelling as well as a hybrid autofocus system -- an amalgam of phase-detection, laser, contrast, and depth focusing technologies. It also delivers Huawei's 960fps Super Slow Motion option .
Up front, it swaggers with a 24-megapixel selfie camera whose raw pixel resolution was one of the highest at the time of writing. Just like its rear-facing dual cam, the P20's front cam also utilizes AI-driven enhancements, such as 3D Portrait Lighting , although it is sadly marred by a fixed focal length -- some of the best selfie phones come with autofocus-enabled front cams.
Joining the P20's pros and cons is a large 5.8-inch FullView display that still sounds respectable, even though it could have done better than an FHD+ (2244 x 1080) definition and a 428ppi pixel density count . Tying everything together is a curved glass body offered in gradient finishes like Pink Gold and Twilight as well as in solid colors like Gold, Midnight Blue, and Black.
Running on Android 8.1 Oreo skinned with EMUI 8.1, the Huawei P20 makes for a solid choice for mobile photography hobbyists.
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