Huawei P smart 2021 review – Price is Right

Huawei‘s loss of Google Play and Google Mobile Services has made a significant dent in their momentum. Having carved out substantial market share in the West with some amazing hardware, being forced to suddenly produce the software to go with it has seen that share slip. The fear that some customers have of using a new operating system plays a huge part in this, the extra steps needed to obtain some apps also deters customers. Huawei P smart 2021 aims at the market segment least likely to be attached to an OS. It targets those who hold no fear of navigating a menu – teens and young adults.

Aggressive Price, Elegant Face

The €169 sim-free price tag is a statement of intent. It’s one rung up from the most basic Android devices yet Huawei P smart 2021 can boast features that would be at home on mid-range devices. A massive battery, fast charging capability and a surprisingly rich stills capture make P smart 2021 stand out against its competitors. They are also features that the device’s target demographic hold dear.

However, there are a few areas where Huawei P smart 2021 shows its price. The design borders on chunky. At 9.3mm thick, it’s hefty. The glossy plastic casing looks a little cheap. The device has a hollow feel.

It must be said that the device is not ugly. Our black review model’s scant detail gives it an elegant but business-like look. The signature Huawei macro detailing elevates its otherwise plain look. The quad-lens arrangement resists the temptation to flash its glass at observers as cheap handsets tend to do. Instead, it takes its inspiration from the upmarket Huawei P-series devices – as if to hint that the capture belongs in the same stable.

The bezel surrounding the screen is about what your expect for a device its size but it doesn’t disturb the front’s aesthetic. The punch-hole notch and otherwise-undisturbed large, glassy face add to the minimalist visual experience.

Decent Display

Huawei P smart 2021 sports a decent 6.67″ IPS LCD screen which is a relatively good all-round performer. 1080×2400 is definitely enough pixels for a sharp image. The IPS panel has a mostly natural colour reproduction that veers towards vivid – it’s a little saturated. The contrast is good and combined with adequate brightness, the right images can pop impressively for a budget smartphone.

The 20:9 aspect ratio was a good choice. The biggest downside of the punch-hole notch is the loss of screen real-estate but with a 20:9 aspect ratio, users can view their 16:9/18:9 content or use 16:9/18:9 apps undisturbed.

Budget at Heart

While it may boast some excellent features to let it bully other handsets at its price, the innards are distinctly price-appropriate. The 14-nanometre process chip is just a little slower and a little less efficient than the 12nm devices that P smart 2021 are facing. One reason for this choice of 14nm chip is that Huawei are moving to home-made chips in anticipation of losing access to Western dies. P smart is therefore somewhat of a test-bed.

The result isn’t bad. Huawei P smart 2021 has enough power to handle everyday tasks and, crucially, to handle its four lenses. The 4GB of RAM certainly helps keep the device running smoothly. Lower-end chips have come a long way and, thankfully, irritatingly slow Android hardware species are becoming rarer. It must be noted that gaming is not the device’s forté. While it’s able for 3D gaming and some complex titles, the visual quality will be low.

Huawei Capture on a Shoestring

The Chinese company is famed for its photography. Having poured cash in to R&D for a number of years, Huawei’s devices dominate DxOMARK’s definitive list of smartphone snappers. Huawei P smart 2021 suitably gains from this expertise.

The 48MP wide-angle lens is supported by a 2MP depth sensor. There is a dedicated 2MP macro lens and 8MP ultra-wide sensor to add a few strings to P smart’s bow.

Focus is good. Images are sharp in well-lit scenes. Contrast is average but colour is accurate. The wide array of modes that are available yield usable/fun results.

Super macro mode works down to around 3cm with 4cm rated as optimal. Light painting allows bright objects to leave a trail as they move around the frame. Traffic at night or glowsticks at a rave for example. Moving picture grabs a few frames either side of the actual snap letting you see a smile form or other details that a still cannot capture. Time-lapse and panorama round off a varied feature set – one that seems designed with social media in mind.

The device features a well-provisioned ‘Pro’ mode to help adventurous/skilled users bleed the very best shot that the hardware can manage. Darker scenes (without Super Night Mode) are about average in its price-range but if wary of lighting conditions you can take some impressive snaps with P smart.

Super Night-Mode works incredibly well but it demands users stay very still for a sometimes unreasonable length of time. When you get it right, it will surprise you.

P smart captures a detailed and well-toned 1080p60 video but like P smart’s stills it needs good light to do its job. HDR and a 4x-16x slow-motion capture are nice to have. Compared to the stills options, it seems a little barebones.

That’s a Massive Battery

Huawei P Smart 20201’s ‘all-action’ target demographic values mobility. The device’s 5,000mAh battery means it’s plenty mobile. While the chipset is inherently less efficient than others, the oversized cell is quite a brute-force solution. A solution that works, P smart can do a moderate-user’s day at a canter. Light users will make it bed on day two.

For power-users, making it to bed on day one could be tricky with that gigantic, relatively bright screen. Thankfully, the 22.5W fast charger will fill the device from 0-100% in around 90 minutes with a 10 minute blast said to allow for two hours of video playback. In 30 minutes the device will charge to a an impressive 46%.

The 128GB of on-board storage is ample in this cloud-powered age. There is room for a microSD card of up to 512GB for those who need it. Thankfully, a 3.5mm audio jack still resides on the P smart range. The hardware’s overall usability and user-friendliness is laudable.

The Software Question

Huawei’s implementation of their Android-powered Emotion UI has improved a lot since the first wave of devices arrived in Europe at the beginning of this year. Not only have a huge number of app-makers signed up and beefed up App Gallery’s offering, EMUI adds applets to the mix.

Some of Google’s apps can be accessed through these applets. For instance, YouTube allows users to sign in with a Google account. Being able to sign in to Google’s stable solves a conundrum for potential buyers. Weaning themselves from GMS doesn’t have mean going ‘cold turkey’.

For the type of user that Huawei is trying to lasso, the few extra steps needed to set up certain apps or simply getting used to the menu will be no bother. Ultimately, it’s app availability that will make or break the experience for youths and luckily for Huawei, they have closed the app gap.

Specifications

Worth the Effort

For those tempted to hop the fence to Huawei Mobile Services via P smart 2021, the continued improvements to their EMUI are yielding results. Most of the most popular apps have a full presence with only Google’s suite left standing out. And even Google’s apps are essentially available in full thanks to the applet function.

The hardware is excellent for this price. If you can brave a new ecosystem, you will be pleasantly surprised by the features and considerate design.

Review handset provided by PR