Huawei P20 Pro Review: The best smartphone? | Pocketnow

Our full Huawei P20 Pro text review: /2018/04/12/huawei-p20-pro-review
Pro: Abbreviation for Professional, which in turn stands for something or someone that's competent or skilled in a particular activity.
This is the second time that Huawei uses the moniker to define the most advanced version of its current flagship, but only the first time that it actually means something to brag about. I'm Jaime Rivera with Pocketnow, and this is our review of the Huawei P20 Pro
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Pocketnow has been a key source of mobile technology news and reviews since its establishment in 2000. With offices on three continents, Pocketnow offers round-the-clock coverage of the mobile technology landscape, from smartphones to tablets to wearables. We aim to be your number-one source for mobile tech news, reviews, comparisons, and commentary. If you love mobile as much as we do, be sure to subscribe!
Huawei P20 Pro Review: The best smartphone? | Pocketnow
• Huawei P20 Pro Review:...
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[@noidea91]

I love my P20 Pro. It's the best phone I've had.

[@tredfxman]

Moris Sombre Iwas going to get it! But then the phone iv waited for atleast 1 full year came! HTC U12+. I made my father buy the predecessor to yours though Mate 10 Pro.

[@bobbykhor5561]

How was the battery bro? Can it last long?

[@noidea91]

Kamen Kick It's very good. I couldn't discharge it in 1 day. Sometimes it lasts even 2 days. And it charges very fast.

[@bobbykhor5561]

Did u play any high graphic games , because I found out that the battery will fall by 12-14% when I played Asphalt 8 for 1 hour, is it normal for a huawei p20 pro phone with only one week old?

[@Xithugx]

Better than X6 believe me 😍😍😍😍

[@awladhossain1153]

This review deserves a thumbs up from me. Fantastic review.

[@TheSinotti]

@jaime: nice review. What's the software version you used for this review?

[@prateen88]

One of the best review in recent times for any phone. You should do more review like these. keep it up !!

[@aleistercrowley353]

This is the best photography I've seen any phone reviewer take so far with the p20 pro , Jaime you teach them how to use a smartphone camera. Amazing pictures :)

[@prabhsodhi17]

Hi Jamie. Love Your videos bud. Keep it up.

[@perrrfectitbuddy3981]

☺Excellent review🌟🌟

[@johncaban4310]

How do you get the Google feed to your left? I have the L29 model and I can't get that to work!

[@shawtmanXR]

Jaime, can you confirm if Huawei has any intentions of tackling the video issues with a software update? I'm asking about the stabilization in particular.

[@n_marfori]

Already in my bucket lists👌🏼

[@ihussain1011]

Thanks for staying and committed to pocketnow.

[@tenskiii]

How do u activate Google feed? Coz I get some HiBoard from Huawei instead

[@dvbawesome]

Its a pretty great phone i've had mine for almost 3 months and i have no complaints. The camera is my favorite thing about it

[@Winterhotsprings]

How’s the outdoor screen visibility?

[@ronanymous]

Did you end up using this as your daily driver? Really curious.

[@abdulhafiz3082]

This channel deserves 5 million subscribers.

[@Dia1Up]

I have a p20, my coworker has a p20 pro. Cameras are no slouch on the p20 as well. Battery life is very impressive on both, and the dual speakers on the p20 pro, if a spec sheet didn't tell me it had 2, I would never know.

[@ayonbarua7668]

Great review 👌

[@dzler1]

how did you get instagram stories to work without cropping ? i have made all updates and it still crops my instagram

[@rschuerer]

Despite all the critics about it I'm so thankful for Huawei for putting the fingerprint sensor on the front. (I used phones like the Note 8 and the rear fingerprint sensor was such useless thing) I was a little bit skeptic about the notch but got used to it quickly. I had phones with wireless charging for years and still I'm not missing it because I hardly used it. Also I won't miss a headphone jack as I love my wireless ear buds. I can't say anything about the launcher as it's always the first I replace on my phone but the system settings offer a lot of useful options I haven't seen on any other Android phone so far.

[@gptherocker5555]

Awesome video!!!

[@pieterkruger6624]

Great review and representative of my own experience with the phone. I loaded apex launcher and applied dark mode which is hidden in power settings, this resolves the look and feel for the phone leading to a great overall experience, camera takes the best pictures of any phone I've ever owned.

[@SACHtrix]

When are you guys going to review htc u12 plus?

[@LunarFlare91]

This phone hits the sweet spot between OnePlus 6 and /Samsungs. I would love to own one of these beauty.

[@10ToesDownWithBass]

Jaime Rivera Pro: The best Jaime Rivera?

[@tredfxman]

Ratchet Heinie Rivera! We all know thats how it Really is spelled... ;)

[@frooty4929]

Riverrrra

[@hritik5792]

Where is juan.... Did he left pocketnow....i really wanted him to do this review....

[@zeldafreaknerd]

hritik jain commenting because I want to know too if someone replies

[@TDDPhoto]

He did but he's still active on his own KZbin channel.

[@phoenixzappa7366]

He was deported

[@hritik5792]

Scotty Nguyen's 80s Mullet what? R u sure?

[@BossKing1243]

hritik jain he’s joking

[@sondesix_]

Great review, you're my favourite Pocketnow reviewer right now. This phone is really impressive, but one thing I don't like about this phone is the UI, tbh. I think the camera, albeit good, is a bit overrated, because I don't even have to be there to see that some shots look unnatural. That AI mode makes the oversaturation and too much contrast situations much worse. The front camera tends to be overexposed, too and it is far from the best. Lastly, the super slow motion mode (960fps) in this phone is fake because it is a 240fps video that's slowed down 4 times. Other than that, it is a very solid phone with a great photography experience. Next, can you review Xperia XZ2 and U12+, please?

[@boss133749]

@0:22 that bokeh is beautiful. What set up are you using?

[@studiodentisticogattuso]

Regarding the problem of brightness that settles itself on automatic and lowers when you enter the app and settings, and get up when you go out, is there any solution? I did some research and I realized that it is a widespread discomfort. Thanks in advance.

[@youtubeshem7300]

Love the screen the camera and the 4000 MAP battery

[@kancheongspidergaming]

I'm still gonna hold onto my S9+. Even though my contract was up when both phones came out. The OIS improved alot since the S6, the capability to record many 0.2s 960fps slowmo in one recording, 4K60 and the most obvious - dual aperture, which allowed me to get a bokeh effect even with my bike against the Singapore Skyline as my backdrop.

[@ad78]

Android Auto, did you check if its working?

[@asdf123625]

I've had the P20 pro for a few weeks now and personally I found the camera to be extremely fidgety. It has trouble focusing on subjects that are close to you. Sometimes I would look back at a photo that I took that day, my lunch for example, and find that the entire picture is completely blurred. And you can see it happening as well. It's worst when I'm using autofocus but even after I had tapped to focus on a subject, the camera would waver back and forth a few times before settling. Also, I've had 2 software updates throughout my time with this phone and it doesn't appear as if Huawei has added a feature to completely disable beautification filters. I've set the beautification level to 0 and somehow there seems to still be some level of facial processing. That said, Night mode is flipping amazing and I wish more phones had this feature. It blows my mind with how good it is. And ultimately, the P20 pro's camera is a massive upgrade from my Oneplus 3. But I do wish the software for the camera was more refined. I mean I honestly had more fun taking photos with my Oneplus 3.

[@TallyHoTech]

How do you get the Google feed on the left

[@davekp6773]

Western Gents United Google now launcher possibly

[@tajaemorgan4096]

Can u do one more video on the p20 pro its really great

[@NickEgibyan]

Almost no one reviewed the regular version (p20) i would love to see the camera difference between pro and non pro versioans,cause i own the non pro version and the camera is amazing as well but i still wonder was it worth paying extra for 40mp camera,amoled screen, bigger battery and water resistance ?

[@maxoo._]

Nick Egibyan let's make a research through KZbin I remember having seen such videos between them 👍

[@FabioTharwat]

Dxmark reviewed the camera, and i guess everything else is the same

[@sinjb6206]

Nick Egibyan there is no comparison you can’t compare the two your phone is actually comparable to a Samsung or an iPhone the p20 pro is really on its own it’s not fair to compare it with any other phone in terms of hardware now software is a different story

[@johncaban4310]

where did you get the wallpaper for it?

[@dan1996DO]

Honestly, for a few days after the P20 Pro launched, I really liked it, even placing it at N1 on my "best smartphones for me" list. But then the U12+ happened... And oh boy. To me, that phone is much more refined, elegant and striking (unlike that iPhone-inspired design). And the deciding factor for me is that I prefer the photos from the U12+, here's what I mean: the U12+ produces natural colors with fine detail - that's my type of photography, give me the scene as it is, I can ruin it with saturation later if I wanted to. On the other hand, the P20 Pro has some horrid overprocessing/oversharpening going on. About the only camera feature it has over the HTC is the zoom (kudos to Huawei and Leica for that). Was a very pleasant review, Jaime. I'm hoping to hear your thoughts on the U12+ when/if you get it.

[@iloper]

The Nikon? Do you know the 850?

[@bulldogsplash1]

Are you going to review the Xperia xz2?

[@jevonbutler9867]

how can i get this for tmobile

[@wascarg5341]

You are getting better doing reviews . Who’s the lady !?

[@Crazcompart]

"Pro" or otherwise, what difference does it make? It's not available in North America...

[@danimoosakhan]

Can i buy this if i live in USA?

[@Thermalcool]

What happened to the real camera and audio reviews I loved those and it was the main reason I subbed

[@jimmyelferekh3112]

Anyone knows how does the glass on this phone compare to gorilla glass? Never saw a drop test on this phone

[@Jonfroy]

Watching on my grand new p20 pro. Best phone I've ever had.

[@mattshifu]

What's happened to pocket now.... Finally its modern and editing great. Now just update that old logo already... Please.

[@SMB026]

Is there a significant difference between the P20 and the P20 Pro?

[@pedrolockup1543]

Can you do a review XIAOMI MI8 Explorer?

[@axi6ne8us]

P20 Pro was my first choice for an upgrade, but Samsung offered a $400 trade-in for my V30 for an S9+. Better device at a great deal! Thanks for the review Jaime.

[@Jasonbbbbbbbb]

I like the notch's on the new phones. They give the phone an edgy look

[@sonnywolf383]

I like the finger scanner on the front.

[@aromesdeparis]

I have p20 and its amazing phone especially the camera.

[@inayamei]

The P10 Plus already has "dual" speakers, it uses the earphone and the bottom speaker simultaneously.

[@daanutzul]

I am using this phone and its great. I switched from s8 and all useage experience is a lot better.very proud

[@nickcook9915]

is the software experience smooth or does it suffer from lag or delay at all?

[@Hypocrisy.Allergic]

Loving it Had an s8 plus, this is so much better. It feels like an iphone x with android😍

[@wessamhamadneh9877]

I think this is one of the best and most unique phones of the year. Excellent specs and features. I love everything about it despite it being a fingerprint magnet. It's a significant improvement compared to what LG,HTC and Samsung had to offer this year.

[@alimohammedakramaldoori1755]

My p20 pro keeps restarting and I don't know why some answers would be helpful!!!

[@iammrcarter5099]

6:50 is why I'll come back to watch this review over and over again

[@welllmoon2011]

Why no wireless charging?

[@PeeHooo]

Where are the real camera reviews by Juan? I miss them. :/

[@9000eldiablo]

Still don't find anything closer to the OP5T. It is the perfect bang for the budget phone, closest thing to a Nexus.

[@sultanabran1]

actually the monochrome sensor is there to capture light, and the colour sensor is to capture colour. the monochrome sensor IS NOT there for dynamic range.

[@abhishekbonyt]

How many times did you said essentially......?

[@tiar83]

Can't wait p20 pro launch in my country...

[@wilsonc4974]

Love my p20pro too

[@trindadecr7221]

This is my new fone Great fone great câmeras great bathery 4000 , iP67 ,IR blaster , Dual Steréo speaker great 👌

[@dylanpower1438]

Trindade CR7 *phone

[@sathamhussain5319]

Any new update for camera 4k stabilization

[@Kahani-Suno923]

Excellent camera but im not much impressed with its 4K video recording & its Selfie Camera

[@waso9455]

I only got the standard p20 but I still love it nonetheless

[@dok9114]

no report on audio experience?

[@brendongomes9945]

Hey Jaime :)

[@yajaira8457]

How much does it costs?

[@grayisagirl]

That super over-processed pictures from P20 series are an eyesore to pixel peepers

[@kcwanst]

Workaround shoot in 40MP and downside to 20MP and the effects are reduced. Portrait and Aperture modes seems to escape from over sharpening, but you get the fake bokeh, which I don't mind. Some purists might though.

[@osmannevres9677]

I love P20 pro but I don't like being have to take square shots for high resolutions. The full screen shots are essential for better compositions and I don't like limitations as such. All in all Huawei should immediately improve the CPU's and create better possibilities for us!

[@karchun816]

EMUI maybe provide some really good features, but man, the UI design is not good looking

[@ramonegomez6203]

I think you said 1p68 but it is ip67 for the specs

[@estebansequeira7075]

Background music?

[@cautarepvp2079]

music please? the backround track is epic

[@lukamih]

I like Emui! Especially the latest versions. It's very useful and I like the design but I do have a pixel launcher on the home screen!

[@nickcook9915]

does the OS run more smoothly on this? my P9 had a great camera but the software was very buggy and not ever updated

[@lukamih]

Nick Cook I bought a P20 pro and currently using it to comment. The software is buttery smooth and I get security updates every month so far. The Huawei GPU turbo boost ( I suggest you read about it) update is coming in August which will put the Kirin 970 in line with the SD845. This phone is incredible and much better than my S9+! 100% recommend

[@sharryist]

How to Set Data Usage Limit on it ?

[@111danish111]

I would like to see a 1 inch sensor smartphone .

[@MisterWhatWhat]

Those were some great shots but how come all of the camera comparison videos I've seen the photos from this device look bad compared to the iPhone X, S9+, and even the OnePlus 6?

[@valtervincere]

I Love Speed Tests Master AI cripples the image quality, applying a crazy amount of sharpening and saturation. I remember the old days of Samsung phones where they get bashed by the same things (oversharpening and oversaturation) lol.

[@mwboost]

As mentioned the AI. Or even the oversharpening. Even with AI off sometimes there's a bit too much.

[@ibrahimshalaby9828]

Super fast Monster camera Wonderful finish Very comfortable grip Firmware isn't the best but acceptable.

[@JhaveriAakash]

Why does your design and graphic change with each video?

[@kitrodriguez992]

Brother bout to get that phone.. Im an LGv20 user.. Might be biassed, but i don't tend to be, after watching this video, i still love my LG.. As pocketnow said :P its an underrated beast

[@kitrodriguez992]

I can feel the bootloop comments coming.. I've had mine for months now, almost a year, i never experienced it. 😂 So please 😂 Don't come at me

[@JaiDii-Thai-]

Had a iPhone 5, still in use..... A Samsung note 4... Now for a year allready a Huawei mate 8, and have nothing to complain. Still a great phone! When I bought it, it just started to get 'name', not a Chinese cheap one. Now Huawei is a popular and equal good qua!its as all other brands. No more Samsung and sure no apple anymore for me

[@justiceforall1288]

At least they were able to hide the notch in crop mode.

[@ihussain1011]

Thanks pro

[@accesser]

Quality video guys great job

[@jamesjoachim]

Camera is good but too much processing and over sharpening. I hope future update will address this.

[@jsd4979]

The most revolutionary cellphone so far. The only down side is the Kirin 970 that comes with this cellphone, I wish it had the rumoured Kirin 980.

[@TheSinotti]

Honestly, the Kirin 970 is a beast in actual day-to-day use. Very responsive and fluid. (with latest firmware update though).

[@ekspert081]

P10 plus have dual firing speakers, so P20 pro is not firt Huawei P series to include that

[@HeikoQuant]

"EMUI you either love it or hate it, I'm ok with it..." do you listen to yourself talk?

[@arupsen4761]

Yes it is best

[@Sonu-nu9hb]

Bro please answer me that the ipad is going launch on wwdc 2018 or not ...

[@balaramank.balaraman8277]

ROCKY TECH h fdfjhfths

[@reclaimer429fishing]

Love the 3 camera Came from youtube

[@maxmarx2]

That editing tho :)

[@Pocketnow]

Thanks!

[@mashfour]

I miss Juan too... especially for audio...have p20 pro but it's half perfect; no audio 3.5mm and terrible via dongle. Is audio dead for cell? Even Bose QC35 ii are a compromise

[@kramshiron]

How is it that most camera reviews actually don’t rate it that high....the ui is not great either.

[@alexanderschulz6350]

what about force display dimming? almost every app gets force dimmed, dealbreaker