Also beaten iPhone X ?: Huawei P20 Pro snaps to the top

The Huawei P20 Pro is the first smartphone with three cameras on the back. The test shows that this is not just a gimmick, but sets new standards. The overall package is also right and Huawei is now on a par with Apple and Samsung.

Huawei has worked its way up step by step over the past few years, working closer to Samsung and Apple with each new top smartphone. With the current flagship P20 Pro, the Chinese now want to finally close the gap and maybe even overtake the iPhone X and the Galaxy S9. N-tv.de tried out whether that was successful.

Similarity to iPhone X

It's not the first time that Huawei has opted for a lot from Apple. Like the iPhone X, the P20 Pro has a recess ("notch") in the display for the front camera and sensors, a similarly shaped frame and the double camera on the back protrudes clearly from the glass surface like Apple's device. Nevertheless, the P20 is not just a copy, but has its own note. There is also a fingerprint sensor under the display and a third camera on the back as the biggest distinguishing feature. There are also beautiful colors that Apple does not have to offer.

Overall, the design is consistent, the device feels very pleasant and the workmanship is beyond criticism. Protection against water and dust according to IP67 is not missing either. But there are the same problems as with the iPhone X: Due to the protruding camera, the smartphone tilts when you use it while lying on the table and the glass housing is slippery and smeared quickly.

The 6.1-inch OLED display is excellent and can keep up well with the screens of the Galaxy S9 and iPhone X in terms of brightness, contrasts and colors. It also offers automatic adjustment of the color temperature to the ambient light. To criticize the "notch" is actually nonsensical, because it simply offers more display. If you are still bothered by it, you can eliminate it in the settings and then see a continuous black bar.

Great display, practical sensor

Huawei also did without an ultra-high resolution in the P20 Pro, which was a wise decision. Because even with Full HD + (2240 ​​x 1080 pixels), the display is razor-sharp. In the case of competitors with more pixels, the resolution is usually not higher in the basic settings, because otherwise the battery is unnecessarily stressed. It is only worth setting Quad-HD for use in VR glasses.

A fingerprint sensor on the back would have made the device more compact, but those who like a home button with additional functions will be delighted. Because the sensor not only reacts extremely jaggedly, it can also replace the virtual buttons on the display if you set it this way. Then you take a step back with a simple tap; if you press longer, you get to the homescreen. A swipe to the side shows the apps last used, and the Google Assistant is called up with a swipe next to the sensor. Well solved!

In terms of sound, the P20 Pro can convince with its speakers as well as the Bluetooth transmission with aptX HD, LDAC and Dolby Atmos. However, there is no jack plug for headphones. Whether you miss it depends on your own equipment. The included adapter for the USB-C input should be an acceptable compromise for most users with wired headphones.

Dual SIM instead of microSD

The inner values ​​are at the top level. The computing work is done by Huawei's top chip Kirin 970, which can access 6 gigabytes of RAM. The internal memory is a whopping 128 gigabytes, which is why the lack of a slot for microSD cards is justifiable. In addition, there is a battery with an impressive 4000 mAh, which does not allow you to worry that the device will run out of breath prematurely even with intensive use.

In the test, even on long days with lots of photography, music and video streaming, the display seldom fell below 30 percent. This should be more important to most users than inductive charging, which is not possible with the P20 Pro despite the glass back. Another great thing is that the device allows a second SIM card as standard.

In everyday life, Huawei's new flagship cuts a very good figure and is on a par with the competitors from Samsung and Apple. With its triple camera, the P20 Pro sets new standards. As with its predecessors, Huawei combines a black and white sensor with a color sensor. But compared to the P10 or Mate 10 Pro, the Chinese have again upgraded a lot. The monochrome camera now delivers recordings with 20 megapixels and the RGB camera even with up to 40 megapixels. In addition, the sensor is even larger than usual on other smartphones.

Detailed zoom recordings

The third optic is an 8-megapixel camera that takes photos that are equivalent to three times the zoom. With aperture F / 2.4, it is particularly worthwhile to use it in good lighting conditions. The difference in magnification is significant compared to the double telescopes on the Galaxy S9 Plus or the iPhone X, and the image quality is comparable. If you zoom in even more, the P20 Pro also outperforms its competitors here because the algorithms can combine the information from all three sensors. At five times the magnification, a lot of details can still be seen and pictures taken with ten times the zoom are still impressive.

Unbeatably good at night

In daylight, all top smartphones are more or less on par. The weaker the light, the more Huawei's camera combination can show what it can do. On the one hand, the black and white camera without a color filter is already very bright with a large aperture of F / 1.6 and provides many details. In addition, Huawei combines four pixels into one large pixel as standard with the RGB camera (F / 1.8), which additionally increases the light sensitivity with a lower tendency to noise. In addition, the neural processor of the Kirin 970 helps with "artificial intelligence".

The result is impressively good night shots, with which you can even keep exposure times of up to 6 seconds without a tripod. This is made possible by algorithms that compare several recordings in real time. This sometimes even seems unnatural, as things can still be seen in the photo that the naked eye has not seen – for example clouds in the night sky.

While you are taking pictures, you can sense how it works. Because you can see that light and dark areas are exposed alternately. Amazingly, most of the time, the smartphone even succeeds in "freezing" moving objects. It is also noteworthy that the device usually focuses quickly and accurately even under such conditions.

Master AI or professional mode

Huawei has also improved the algorithms for subject recognition, which means that the automatic system makes the correct settings in most cases. In the best case scenario, it not only sees what is basically being photographed, but also recognizes other details. The settings for recording pasta dishes should differ from those for Asian meals. It is difficult to prove whether it works, in any case you can usually trust Huawei's "Master AI". This also applies to portrait shots, where the smartphone creates a nice artificial bokeh.

In daylight, however, it is sometimes advisable to select the full resolution in order to photograph more details or to get even more out of the camera. Perhaps you don't like the fact that the automatic system sometimes sharpens, de-noises or brightens too much. That's why there is the Pro mode, in which you can set almost everything to your own taste and also take photos in RAW format. With a little patience, even better night shots can be achieved.

Not always stable

According to Huawei, only the zoom camera has optical image stabilization, otherwise the smartphone is digitally unsteady. As you can see from the night shots, this works first class. Videos are only stabilized in Full HD resolution, however, with 4K you have to show a steady hand. It's a shame, because otherwise the P20 Pro also performs well with moving images and doesn't have to hide from the competition. (Update)Strangely enough, according to "The Verge", all three cameras have the technology for optical image stabilization on board. It is not known why it is not used. "The Verge" speculates that Huawei might want to make the AI ​​look stronger than it actually is. Maybe the interaction of three optical stabilizers simply doesn't work. In any case, it is nice that the device can do super slow motion with 960 frames per second. An automatic trigger like the one offered by the Galaxy S9 is missing.

The 24-megapixel front camera is good, but not great. This is where the P20 Pro reaches the limits of a small sensor with too many pixels. During the day, selfies look very nice and if you let the display light up as a photo light at night, you get quite appealing results.

The front camera is also used for face recognition, which works pretty quickly and even in low light. However, it doesn't offer 3D scans like the true depth camera of the iPhone X and is therefore not a particularly secure method of unlocking the device.

Preferences are decisive

Overall, the Huawei P20 Pro is one of the three best smartphones that you can currently buy. With an excellent camera combination and great endurance, it is a head-to-head race with the Galaxy S9 Plus and the iPhone X, whereby personal preferences are decisive.

Apple's flagship is still sailing relatively safely ahead. It can't quite keep up with the camera. But Face ID and innovative swiping gestures for control are still unique. However, the price also speaks for the P20 Pro. At 900 euros, the device is already significantly cheaper than the iPhone X and the gap should soon become even greater.

The Galaxy S9 Plus with its double camera is just behind Huawei's three-eye. The decisive factor here is the importance of expandable storage, wireless charging and a jack connection to users.