 |
|
Welcome to the Huawei P9 review. It's been awhile since we tested a Huawei phone since they never quite stood out in terms of pricing or specification. However with the release of the P9 we decided to check if things have changed hence worth a closer look. The Huawei P9 is current priced under $699 AUD which is the highest end of the mid-range phones.
In terms of construction the Huawei P9 is very good. The quality of materials is good and the feels high end. However the P9 biggest flaw is also obvious, it looks like a phone made in 2014 specifically a Samsung Galaxy Note 4. Of course it's not a complete clone as it has a contrasting horizontal camera lens strip and all metal body. The pattern on the aluminium is also a bit down market in our view.
In terms of hardware features the Huawei P9 all the latest tech for the m-d range class and adds the heavily promoted Leica dual camera lens setup. While the screen is only 108op it does look sharp and colourful. It's quality matches the iPhone for clarity but not as brightness. The CPU is is called a Kirin 955 which is a decent CPU and bench test whose appears to be one of the fast mid-range CPUs. Since the P9 is a mid range phone the other tech specs are on the boring side meaning that there is nothing else that stands out. That said we do not like rear facing finger printer scanners! Does the P9 take good pictures? You'll have to chance out others that focus on images comparisons. In it's own right at the pictures we took where very good. The flaw is of course the selfie camera which is very average.
In terms of use the Huawei P9 is very good. The interface is smooth and uncluttered thanks to a hidden App tray as per other phones. As a result it's great for those who have never used a smartphone before and it does replicate the iPhone experience. Navigation is smooth and fast and the Apps open pretty quickly too. We have no complaints worth mentioning except perhaps that the menu navigation is not completely logical.
In the end the Huawei is a decent mid-range phone. However there are a number of other $600 priced phones that are just as compelling eg. the old Galaxy S6 or Galaxy S5 with a lovely AMOLED screens and so forth, furthermore there is the issue of reliability and software support. Ignoring the competition the Huawei P9 is a good phone with decent specs, build quality and the high end camera but needs to be cheaper to really make an impression.
Specifications
- Huawei P9
- Network
All GSM
All 3G frequencies
All 4G frequencies
- Design
Touch screen
- L145 x W71 x D6.95 mm
- Weight 144 grams
- Display
5.2 inch 1920 x 1080 IPS
- Camera
Dual 12MP Lecia lens auto-focus
x2 LED Flash
2nd forward facing still/video call camera 2MP
- Video Camera
1080p high definition 60FPS main video camera
2MP Front video phone camera
- Connectivity
USB-C
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth V4
- CPU
Kiri 955 Octa-core 2.2 Ghz
Separate Graphics Mali T880
- Memory
3-4 Gig RAM
Up to 32 Gig for user
Up to 256Gig micro-SD expansion
- Features
Dual SIM, A-GPS, GLANOSS, Compass, Accelerometer, Gyroscope
Proximity, Ambient Light
Google Play store
Li-Po 3000 mAh battery
Up to 23 Days standby
Up to 15 hours Talk Time
- Price history
Approx $699 Early 2017 (Outright)
