Huawei P10 and P10 Plus Review

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus arrived on the market with considerable fanfare․ Promising a significant leap in camera technology and a refined design, they aimed to challenge the established players in the premium smartphone arena․ This review delves deep into both devices, examining their performance, camera capabilities, design aesthetics, battery life, and overall user experience․ We’ll analyze their strengths and weaknesses to provide a comprehensive assessment for potential buyers․ Ultimately, we aim to determine whether these phones live up to the hype․

Design and Build Quality

Both the P10 and P10 Plus boast a sleek, modern design․ The unibody aluminum construction feels premium in the hand, offering a satisfying weight and solidity․ The subtly curved edges provide a comfortable grip, minimizing the chance of accidental drops․ However, the glossy finish is a fingerprint magnet, requiring frequent cleaning․ The P10 Plus, with its slightly larger display and curved screen edges, feels even more luxurious, though marginally less pocketable․

The placement of the buttons and ports is intuitive and easy to access․ The power button and volume rocker are positioned on the right-hand side, falling naturally under the thumb․ The USB-C port is located at the bottom, flanked by the speaker grille․ The headphone jack, thankfully, remains on the bottom as well, a welcome feature in today’s market․ The overall build quality is excellent, reflecting Huawei’s commitment to crafting high-end devices․

Display

The Huawei P10 features a 5․1-inch IPS LCD display with a 1080 x 1920 pixel resolution․ Image sharpness and color accuracy are impressive, providing vibrant and detailed visuals․ Viewing angles are excellent, with minimal color shift even at extreme angles․ Outdoor visibility is also commendable, though direct sunlight can sometimes wash out the screen slightly․ The P10 Plus, on the other hand, boasts a larger 5․5-inch display, also an IPS LCD, but with the same resolution․ The larger screen size makes media consumption and multitasking more enjoyable․ Both displays are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, offering decent scratch resistance․

Camera Performance

Huawei heavily marketed the camera capabilities of the P10 and P10 Plus, and rightfully so․ Both phones feature Leica-co-engineered dual-lens cameras, resulting in exceptional image quality․ The main lens boasts a wide aperture, allowing for excellent low-light performance․ Details are crisp and sharp, even in challenging lighting conditions․ The secondary lens enables impressive bokeh effects, blurring the background to create a professional-looking depth of field․ The camera app is intuitive and easy to navigate, with various shooting modes catering to different preferences and scenarios․ Video recording is also excellent, capturing smooth, high-quality footage․

However, there are some minor drawbacks․ In extremely bright conditions, the dynamic range can be slightly limited, resulting in some blown-out highlights․ Occasionally, the autofocus can hunt slightly in low light, though this is not a consistent issue․ Overall, though, the camera performance is a significant strength of both the P10 and P10 Plus, capable of producing stunning photographs and videos․

Selfie Camera

The front-facing cameras on both devices also deserve praise․ They deliver sharp, detailed selfies, with accurate skin tones and minimal noise․ The inclusion of various beautification modes caters to users who prefer a more polished look․ The wide-angle lens on the P10 Plus is particularly useful for group selfies, ensuring everyone fits into the frame․

Performance and Battery Life

The Huawei P10 is powered by the Kirin 960 processor, a powerful chip capable of handling demanding tasks with ease․ Multitasking is smooth and responsive, with minimal lag or stuttering․ The P10 Plus also uses the Kirin 960, but with increased RAM, resulting in even more seamless performance․ Gaming is a smooth experience, with high frame rates and minimal frame drops․ Both devices handle everyday tasks, such as browsing, email, and social media, effortlessly․

Battery life is another area where both phones excel․ The P10 boasts a battery that easily lasts a full day of moderate to heavy use․ The P10 Plus, with its larger battery capacity, offers even longer battery life, easily lasting well into a second day on a single charge․ Both phones support fast charging, allowing for a quick top-up when needed․

Software and User Interface

Both the P10 and P10 Plus run on Huawei’s EMUI, a custom Android skin․ While EMUI has improved significantly in recent years, some users still find it a bit heavy-handed compared to stock Android․ It offers a wealth of customization options, but the interface can feel cluttered for those accustomed to a minimalist approach․ The overall performance of EMUI is smooth and responsive, though some users may prefer a less visually busy experience․

Connectivity and Features

Both phones offer a comprehensive suite of connectivity features, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and GPS․ Call quality is excellent, with clear and crisp audio․ The fingerprint sensor, located on the front of the device, is fast and accurate․ Both phones also support dual SIM functionality, allowing users to use two SIM cards simultaneously․ This is a very useful feature for travelers or those who want to separate business and personal contacts․

• Pros: Excellent camera, sleek design, powerful processor, long battery life․
• Cons: EMUI can be overwhelming for some, fingerprint magnet finish․

Comparison: P10 vs P10 Plus

The main differences between the P10 and P10 Plus lie in screen size, battery capacity, and RAM․ The P10 Plus offers a larger display, a larger battery, and more RAM․ This translates to a slightly more immersive multimedia experience and improved multitasking performance․ However, the P10 is more compact and easier to handle for users who prefer a smaller phone․

The choice between the P10 and P10 Plus ultimately depends on individual preferences and needs․ Users who prioritize portability and a more manageable size might prefer the P10․ Those who want a larger screen, longer battery life, and enhanced multitasking capabilities will likely favor the P10 Plus․

Overall Verdict

The Huawei P10 and P10 Plus are both excellent smartphones offering a compelling blend of performance, design, and camera capabilities․ They represent a significant step forward for Huawei, solidifying their position as a leading player in the premium smartphone market․ While the EMUI interface might not appeal to all users, the exceptional camera performance, powerful processor, and long battery life make these phones highly competitive․ They deliver a premium experience and are a worthwhile consideration for those seeking a high-quality smartphone․

The build quality is superb, the performance is smooth and efficient, and the camera system is truly remarkable․ The inclusion of features like fast charging and dual SIM capability further enhances their appeal․ The slightly larger size and improved specifications of the P10 Plus justify its higher price point for many users; Ultimately, both devices offer exceptional value for money and cater to different needs and preferences․

The camera alone, with its Leica collaboration, warrants strong consideration․ The improvements in battery life compared to previous generations are also noteworthy․ Whether you choose the P10 or P10 Plus, you’re getting a powerful and well-designed smartphone․

Considering the overall package, Huawei has delivered two impressive devices․ These phones represent a strong offering in a competitive market․

The choice depends on your individual needs and budget․