Huawei has also launched its new top-of-the-range smartphone in Italy: Huawei P50 Pro. We could only test its features for a few hours, but we already want to give you an idea of what we think of this really interesting smartphone, with an elegant style and a quad camera that really wants to be the protagonist. In the coming days we will also publish a more in-depth review, but in case you don’t want to miss the opportunity to buy Huawei P50 Pro in its debut, these are ours first impressions.
Huawei P50 Pro: our first impressions
As soon as we opened the packaging of this Huawei P50 Pro (after noticing that the packaging is recyclable and yes sustainable sources), we are immediately were impressed by the design of this device. We had already been following the launch and the rumors, so we knew about the quality materials and the huge double hoops on the back that house the cameras. And knowing the list price, we expected a top of the range look. But the elegant design stands out even more than we thought.
Huawei has worked hard to make this product be premium in every aspect. The glass shell (with aluminum edges) attracts more footprints than we’d like, but this time it’s worth it. Although we usually prefer dull and dark colors for our smartphones, the Cocoa Gold bright that covers the back of this smartphone left us pleasantly surprised. Luckily the included cover is transparent, to show this shade to everyone.
The premium materials and the great cameras (we’ll tell you about our first tests later) immediately demonstrate Hauwei’s attention to design. But also from the point of view of resistance we are there: the IP68 certification allows you to rest assured.
Below you will find both the entrance USB-C that the slot for the micro-SIM, while there is no audio jack (which is now rarely seen on the top of the range).
First impressions of the Huawei P50 Pro: display and audio of the highest quality
Once you have logged in and connected (or created) your Huawei ID, you can enjoy the screen YOU ARE gives 6.6 inches of the P50 Pro, one of the points of force of this smartphone. The resolution FHD+ 2.700×1.228 pixel has a density 450 PPI, with a refresh rate of 120Hz.
OLED technology ensures absolute blacks and bright colors, which Huawei makes sure to show off as much as possible. The wallpapers and lock screens change to immediately show you different images in the highest quality. THE colors stand out beautifully and quickly watching some online videos to test the quality of OLEDs, you immediately notice that we are talking about an absolute level of quality. The excellent brightness (even if the foggy day did not allow us to test the performance under direct sun).
He surprised us very positively too audio. Indeed, we must admit that we were left with our mouths slightly open hearing the performance of the two upper and lower speakers. They are really powerful and of excellent quality. This allows you to really enjoy the maximum multimedia content: a truly premium quality experience.
Processor and performance
The processor of this smartphone is one Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 4G. We do not understand much the choice not to use the 5G variant, even if we have not noticed differences in speed we would have preferred a more forward-looking choice. The model we have on test has 8GB in RAM (there is also 12GB) and 256GB memory (there are also 128 and 512, expandable with Nano Memory Card).
We had little time to put it to the test. But also the heaviest games we have found on the AppGallery from Huawei or with Petal Search they haven’t slowed him down at all. The 300Hz touch sampling makes the game really fluid, especially in the most hectic game phases. Switching between applications is convenient and snappy.
Also excellent fingerprint sensor below the screen. It took us a few seconds longer than usual to set the fingerprint, but compared to other smartphones with this technology it seems to be particularly accurate e quick.
As for the battery from 4.360 mAh, we uploaded it to 66W from 20% to 100% in just under half an hour. Despite the photographic tests and the games we opened to test it, it remains above 80% since we unplugged it from the charger. We need more time to test it properly, but it looks great.
First impressions of the Huawei P50 Pro: the camera
From marketing to smartphone design, it seems clear that Huawei wants to focus everyone’s attention on the P50 Pro’s camera. 50MP with opening from f/1.8. It has optical stabilization and hybrid autofocus.There is a second 64MP module for an excellent 3.5x zoom and a 100x digital one, for one. zoom range da 200x. Also, a sensor 13MP wide angle and a fourth black and white module from 40MP.
The shots seem in line with what was promised. There color management seems optimal to us, with high contrast (also highlighted by the OLED screen when you look at the photo on your smartphone). HDR helps in some shots but does not “exaggerate” as often happens on lower quality products.
The night mode greatly reduces noise in the shot, although the ability to open the ISO and manage features in Pro mode may be more effective for more experienced users. The zoom looks excellent to us: up to 3.5x optical it is perfect, at x10 we can see a slight grain but an overall sharp image. Only at x100 are the outlines inaccurate. But even in this case it seems to us an interesting and quality function: you will not be able to make posters with it, but it is a nice “photographic trick” to have up your sleeve.
The only flaw we found was putting it in trouble portrait mode with the leaves of our olive tree in the garden, where the AI has not been able to blur in the middle of the leaves. But it’s an edge case and the shots are all a great foundation for a bit of post–production.
The stabilization and the great resolution make the video really simple to turn: we don’t have a steady hand, yet the result was above expectations.
Harmony OS 2.0 con EMUI 12
The new Huawei P50 Pro uses the operating system Harmony OS 2.0, with the proprietary interface EMUI 12. The interface has all the best features of Android 12, from gestures to Settings. But also with some iOS-inspired touches, like the control panel separate from the notifications. A snappy system, pleasant to use and with a certain elegance.
We also appreciated the fact that the system asks for permissions for every new app, even system, with the option of independently manage privacy and security: we prefer to waste some time at the beginning but make sure we decide if and when to enable permissions and tracking.
However, the fact remains that there are no Google services not all Android apps. For the former, the Huawei Services have matured a lot in the last year: we can’t wait to test them. Even if those who come from Google Services will have to adapt (and perhaps give up some records recorded on the Play Games). For apps, you can use both AppGallery, increasingly complete, or install via Petal Search from external sources. It didn’t bother us, but even in this case we will test all the various features for a longer time to tell you what we think.
These are our first impressions after spending a few hours with Huawei P50 Pro. An elegant smartphone, with an excellent multimedia department and a camera that has nothing to envy to the competition. The price of 1199 euro it’s high, so we’ll take a little more time to tell you if it’s worth it all in one ad hoc review. But the impression is that it is a very high quality product.