Introduction

Ease of Use

The Huawei P20 uses a 5.8-inch RGBW screen, as compared to the bigger 6.1-inch OLED Full View screen of the P20 Pro. The smaller size of the P20 might be better suited to those who prefer a smaller phone. While the screen is of noticeably lower quality when holding it next to the P20 Pro, used in isolation the screen is very good indeed.

With a slim body, Huawei has never-the-less managed to incorporate a high-capacity, 3400mAH battery. This is around 25% higher capacity than the iPhone X, in a slimmer body. It’s not quite on a par with the 4000mAH battery of the P20 Pro, but should still last a full day in most ordinary situations.

Like the P20 Pro, Huawei has gone for a very sleek design with the standard P20. It has an extremely shiny surface, with rounded edges - the front facing camera and the fingerprint sensor are at opposite ends of the screen for a symmetrical look.

Front of the Huawei P20

As seems to be the trend for most modern smartphones, the bezel of the phone is extremely slim. Huawei has adopted a “notch” design for both the P20 and the P20 Pro, similar to that seen on the iPhone X. Both notches are significantly smaller than the iPhone X’s, however, leaving more room on either side for app notifications and so on.

You can start the camera directly from the lock screen by swiping up from the bottom right hand corner of the screen. When you do this, you’ll be able to look at all the photos you’ve taken in the current session, but you’ll need to unlock the phone to see any older photos.

Alternatively, in the standard setup, the camera icon is displayed at the bottom right-hand corner of the screen when unlocked, so you can tap on that to open the camera app when you need it. 

Shooting Modes

Finally, there is also the option to activate “Ultra Snapshot”. With this, you can take a picture directly from the off screen by double pressing the volume down button - the photograph will be taken automatically so you won’t have any time to compose your shot, so it’s better to use this for spur of the moment shots that might pass by quickly.

Although launched at the same time as the P20 Pro, there are some key differences between the native camera app used on the standard P20 and its more advanced sibling. There are no modes to swipe through at the bottom of the screen, instead you need to swipe left to bring up a row of different mode options. It’s here you’ll find “Night Shot” “Monochrome”, “Filter” and so on. If you want to switch to shooting in “Pro” mode, instead of it being a specific mode to select here, you need to swipe from the bottom of the screen, where you’ll see a range of options that you can change.

For more settings changes, you can swipe right, where you’ll be able to change resolution, switch on raw format (when shooting in Pro mode), add watermarks and so on. It’s not a massive difference from the P20 Pro, but it’s not entirely clear why the company has decided to make the interface different at all. Another difference is that rather than “Aperture” and “Portraits” being specific modes, they’re both accessed by tapping an icon at the top of the screen.

Front of the Huawei P20

Let’s talk a little more about the different modes offered by the camera. Night Mode allows you to shoot low-light shots handheld. A shutter speed of up to six seconds can be deployed, and you can actually see the image “building up” on the screen - you don’t need a tripod to steady the camera. You can select an ISO and a shutter speed yourself, or you can let the camera decide that for you.

In the standard Photo mode, Huawei’s Artificial Intelligence will determine the best settings for the scene, depending on what it thinks you’re taking a photo of. The phone is pretty good at recognising a wide array of different subjects, including dogs, landscapes, flowers, food and so on. For each of these, a different group of settings (not specified) will be applied.

The Huawei P20 In-hand

With Pro Mode, you can alter metering, shutter speed, ISO, exposure compensation, AF mode and white balance. It’s not possible to alter the aperture of the lens, which is fixed. “Aperture” mode is software based, and can’t be used in conjunction with pro mode. With this, you can select an aperture, ranging from f/0.95 up to f/16. The image will be taken with the effect of this aperture applied - as it’s not a physical effect, you can alter this after the fact, by changing the focus point and the level of blur, if you like.

Monochrome mode utilises the specific monochrome sensor that the P20 offers, to give black and white images. With this you can still use “Pro” mode, but you can’t shoot in raw format - being as this mode is using a mono-only sensor, you wouldn’t be able to retrieve colour information even if you could shoot in raw format, though.

The main camera for the Huawei P20 is a 20 megapixel device, as opposed to the 40 megapixel device of the P20 Pro. It shoots at standard at the full 20 megapixels at 4:3 ratio, (5120 x 3840). If you prefer, you can shoot at 12 megapixels (3948 x 2976) or at 1:1 ratio (9 megapixels, 2976 x 2976 pixels), or 16:9 ratio (8 megapixels, 3968 x 1984 pixels).

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 20 megapixel JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.

If your budget doesn’t stretch to the higher price of the P20 Pro, but you’re still intrigued by the thought of a double Leica lens, the standard P20 is a good alternative.

What we have here is something which produces image quality very similar to Huawei’s own Mate 10 Pro. As both have dual lenses, you have the option to choose between the two different designs depending on your preference.

The P20 has a more evolved AI processor than the Mate 10 Pro, being able to recognise even more subjects. On the whole, the camera does a good job of applying preferable settings to the majority of scenes - it’s true however that on occasion, particularly when photographing blue skies or green grass, the saturation is whacked up extremely high and making things look a little too vivid and unrealistic. This seems to be something which has come from how people process their images on Instagram, so it may be appealing to some - if you prefer a more realistic look, switching to Pro mode, or in fact, switching the AI off from the main menu, can keep things a little more real.

Night Mode is very impressive, building up images on screen via long exposure. They look great on the small screen of the phone, and would be great to share via Instagram and the like - on a computer, you can see a noticeable loss of detail when viewing at larger sizes, however. It’s still very impressive that you can shoot long exposures handheld though, so it’s pretty forgiveable.

Although there is a loss of detail when shooting at high ISOs, there’s very little noticeable noise. If you are worried about losing detail, it’s possible to shoot in raw format when using the Pro mode, so it’s worth engaging that should you want to bring extra detail back in post production.

Generally speaking, exposure is well handled, while automatic white balance tends to cope well with various lighting conditions, including artificial lighting.

Noise

The Huawei P20 has 7 manually-selectable ISO sensitivity settings available at full resolution, ranging between ISO 50 and ISO 3200.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 50 (100% Crop)	ISO 50 (100% Crop)
ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Huawei P20's fixed focal length lens is equivalent to 27mm in 35mm camera terms.

1x

Macro

The Huawei P20 able to focus as close as 5cm from a subject.

Macro

Flash

The Huawei P20 uses a twin-LED flash, and as usual for this technology, it gives a weaker flash burst than a standard xenon camera flash.

Flash Off

Flash On

Flash On

Selfie - No Lighting

Night

Thanks to the optical image stabilisation and a wide f/1.6 maximum aperture, the Huawei P20 performs well at night.

Night

Effects

The Huawei P20's camera app includes eight filter effects, but this being a smartphone, extra effects are only an app away.

Off

Blue

Dawn

Halo

Impact

ND

Nostalgia

Sentimental

Valencia

Panorama

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Huawei P20 camera, which were all taken using the 20 megapixel JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Huawei P20 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Huawei RAW (DNG) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

With its two new flagship smartphones, Huawei gives you a good choice between devices, depending on your level of interest in photography and budget. There’s no denying that the P20 Pro is the better choice for photographers, but if you’re a little more limited in your budget, then the P20 is also a great choice, producing very good images with lots of control should you need it. 

If you are budget conscious, it’s also worth considering the Mate 10 Pro, which was announced towards the end of last year. Like the P20, it uses a dual Leica lens setup, but with a slightly different design - for example the fingerprint sensor is on the back of the phone. 

Huawei’s continued partnership with Leica is a savvy one, it produces excellent cameras and also brings the phones to the attention of those who are interested in photography. 

On the whole, image quality is excellent. The AI can be prone to oversaturation, so it’s one to keep an eye on if you are concerned with realistic images - if you shoot in Pro mode, you’re left with images which are still vibrant and punchy, but are much more true to life. 

The P20 has a very sleek design, making it a very attractive phone. It’s slightly smaller than the P20 Pro, but still large enough to display your photos and videos well. Battery life with this phone is not quite as impressive as the P20 Pro, but it should still last a full day with relatively normal use. 

Overall, the standard P20 is a very impressive device, and definitely worth considering if your primary concern is the quality of your phone’s onboard camera. Think about the Mate 10 Pro too, which you may prefer for its different design. If your budget can stretch to the P20 Pro, it’s worth the extra outlay, but you’re unlikely to be disappointed by the P20’s capability if you need to save money. 

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	4.5
Value for money	4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Huawei P20.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Huawei P20 from around the web.

Specifications

News

The HUAWEI P20 Pro and HUAWEI P20 smartphones have advanced cameras to capture more light, featuring a Leica triple camera and 5x Hybrid Zoom on the HUAWEI P20 Pro, and a Leica dual camera on the HUAWEI P20. The HUAWEI P20 Pro features a Leica triple camera with the highest total pixel count on a smartphone – the camera configuration is comprised of a 40MP RGB sensor, a 20MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP sensor with a 3x telephoto lens. Both offer devices six-axis stabilization and 960fps super slow motion video.

The HUAWEI P20 Series comes in Black, Midnight Blue and two all-new gradient colors, Twilight and Pink Gold. The HUAWEI P20 Pro costs £849 and the P20 £599.

Huawei Press Release

Huawei Unveils the HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro, Breakthroughs in Technology and Art to Redefine Intelligent Photography

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today Huawei Consumer Business Group unveiled the HUAWEI P20 Series. The HUAWEI P20 Pro features the world’s first Leica triple camera and both devices include unprecedented AI advances, combining technology and art to bring to life a groundbreaking smartphone experience.

Key features of the HUAWEI P20 Series include:

• An advanced camera to capture more light, featuring a Leica triple camera and 5x Hybrid Zoom on the HUAWEI P20 Pro, and a Leica dual camera on the HUAWEI P20, both achieving DxOMark’s highest overall scores1;
• Innovative photography features, including AI-powered professional photography features and HUAWEI AIS (AI Image Stabilization);
• A timeless design with barely-there bezels and all-new gradient colors;
• Ultimate performance, featuring the NPU on Kirin 970 and EMUI 8.1 based on Android™ 8.1.

A Combination of Art and Technology

The HUAWEI P20 Series comes in Black, Midnight Blue and two all-new gradient colors, Twilight and Pink Gold, achieved by applying several layers of NCVM* optical coatings underneath the glass back, so light hitting the surface refracts and creates a vivid, yet gradual change of hue.

The 5.8-inch screen HUAWEI P20 and 6.1-inch screen HUAWEI P20 Pro feature HUAWEI FullView Display, ultra-thin bezels and impressive screen-to-body ratios for better viewing experiences.

Inspired by Light and Technology

The HUAWEI P20 Pro features a Leica triple camera with the highest total pixel count on a smartphone – the camera configuration is comprised of a 40MP RGB sensor, a 20MP monochrome sensor and an 8MP sensor with telephoto lens. It also features an exclusive Leica color temperature sensor for better color reproduction. With f/1.8, f/1.6 and f/2.4 wide aperture to capture crisp, clear details, the HUAWEI P20 Pro also includes a brand new Leica 3x telephoto (VARIO-SUMMILUX-H 1:1.6-2.4/27-80ASPH) lens for long-range photography of up to 5x Hybrid Zoom. The HUAWEI P20 Pro’s highly sensitive image sensor captures low light photos with up to ISO 102400.

The HUAWEI P20 builds on its predecessor’s foundation with a Leica dual camera featuring a 12MP sensor with a pixel size as high as 1.55 μm, and a 20MP monochrome sensor, enhancing the HUAWEI P20’s ability to capture photos in low-light settings.

The HUAWEI P20 Series devices support six-axis stabilization and 960fps super slow motion. With Ultra Snapshot mode, the devices can capture an image in as little as 0.3 seconds by just double clicking the down volume button, even from an off screen.

Master AI Photography Experience

With the Kirin 970 processor, the HUAWEI P20 Series automatically identifies more than 500 scenarios in 19 categories, selecting camera settings to deliver professional-looking images. HUAWEI AIS steadies handheld night shots for incredible long exposure images without a tripod. Brand new to Huawei’s advanced camera system is 4D predictive focus, predicting moving objects and focusing on them with extreme efficiency to capture minute detail. The HUAWEI P20 Series also features AI-Assisted Composition, providing intelligent suggestions to frame group shots and landscapes.

The HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro feature a 24MP selfie camera** with AI beautification and 3D portrait lighting. The HUAWEI P20 Series also includes on-device Prisma processing, which supports real-time filter recommendations based on scene and object recognition.

In partnership with Google, the HUAWEI P20 Series supports Google ARCore, delivering advanced AR capabilities.

Collaboration with Porsche Design

Huawei also unveiled the PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate RS. Continuing its collaboration with the exclusive luxury brand, the PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate RS features Porsche Design’s signature functional design language and Huawei’s cutting-edge technology and craftsmanship, setting a new standard in premium smartphones.

Pricing and Availability

The HUAWEI P20 Series and PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate RS are immediately available globally.

Model			Version			EUR (includes tax)
HUAWEI P20			4GB + 128GB			€649
HUAWEI P20 Pro			6GB + 128GB			€899
PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate RS			6GB + 256GB			€1,695
PORSCHE DESIGN HUAWEI Mate RS			6GB + 512GB			€2,095

*Non-conductive Vacuum Metalizing **24.8MP sensor

For more information please visit: https://consumer.huawei.com/en/

1 Highest overall DxOMark scores in the mobile camera category – HUAWEI P20 Pro: 109; HUAWEI P20: 102.

Huawei Press Release

TECHNOLOGY AND CREATIVITY COMBINE AS HUAWEI AND HELENA CHRISTENSEN PARTNER TO INTRODUCE NEW HUAWEI P20 PRO SMARTPHONE 

• Iconic supermodel and renowned photographer uses the world’s first triple-lens Leica camera, the HUAWEI P20 Pro, to capture an intimate portrait series
• The HUAWEI P20 Pro fuses an incredible camera with powerful A.I., giving photography lovers the tools to master their craft in the palm of their hand

PARIS, 27 March 2018 – Leading technology brand Huawei has today announced the launch of its new flagship ‘intelligent’ phone, the HUAWEI P20 Pro. By combining the world’s first triple-lens Leica camera and exciting innovation, driven by Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Huawei delivers the most exceptional photography experience possible. At the launch, held at Paris’ iconic Grand Palais, Huawei also announced a partnership with one of the worlds most celebrated supermodels and photographers, Helena Christensen, to shoot an intimate gallery of portraits. The series of portraits captures three fascinating subjects that showcase the vivid colours and stunning detail of photography delivered through the HUAWEI P20 Pro – in a greater level of detail than ever before.

The beautiful collection entitled “See More,” focuses on the stories of three talented professionals, and demonstrates how the HUAWEI P20 Pro allows photographers and viewers alike to see more of subjects, thanks to the perfect balance of light and detail in each portrait. The series demonstrates Helena’s skill and dexterity as a photographer, effortlessly complemented by the incredible HUAWEI P20 Pro – bringing technology and creativity together in one perfect art form. The expertly-crafted Huawei 40MP Leica triple-lens combines with powerful proprietary innovation including object recognition and super slow-motion to deliver a professional photography experience.

Recognised for iconic campaigns with fashion houses including Chanel, Versace and Prada, Helena Christensen is one of the world’s most famous supermodels. Having long held a passion for photography, she has stepped back behind the camera lens in recent years to focus on her work as a photographer, and has been credited with exhibitions in galleries across the globe.

“For this shoot, it was important to me that I captured the spirit and dedication of my subjects, and that my portraits faithfully convey what kind of person they are without the need for words,” says Helena Christensen. “Shooting with the HUAWEI P20 Pro smartphone not only made this process a lot easier, but it also meant I could get a lot closer to these amazing women, as it removed the need for any additional equipment, effectively breaking down the physical barriers that previously stood between me and my subjects.”

Huawei worked closely with photographers and specialists at Leica Camera AG to develop and engineer a new generation of ‘intelligent’ phone that allows users to easily master the art of taking the perfect photograph. As a result, the HUAWEI P20 Pro delivers the most advanced camera experience in a smartphone - the A.I. knows what makes a good picture. It automatically recognises and adjusts settings according to the subject matter to help enhance results, as well as give guidance on composition and framing, providing users with a lifetime of professional knowledge in an instant.

Other features that enhance photography results include the largest light sensor in a smartphone (to allow in more light, resulting in a clear, focused image) and Night Mode (for incredible night-time photography). In addition, the HUAWEI FullView Display maximises the display for stunning visuals, whilst the ultra-efficient battery will keep users connected and shooting for hours. Plus, with HUAWEI SuperCharge they will be back up and running in just a few minutes* when a power top-up is finally needed!

“With the HUAWEI P20 Pro we are ushering in a new era of and benchmark for smartphone cameras,” said Richard Yu, CEO Huawei Consumer Business Group. “The HUAWEI P20 Pro combines the very latest in smartphone technology with Leica Camera’s legendary expertise, to deliver an incredible master photography experience driven by A.I., giving users the tools to achieve professional-standard results with every shot.”

Beautiful colourways make the HUAWEI P20 Pro a fashionable and stylish smartphone choice, allowing users to express their personality and emotion through their handset. Striking Twilight, Midnight Blue and Pink Gold hues complement more traditional Black shades, whilst the world’s first gradient-coloured glass body provides another aesthetic twist to stand out from the crowd**.

Helena’s three subjects were specially chosen for the passion for perfection in their craft. Their portraits, taken by Helena Christensen using the HUAWEI P20 Pro allow us to “See More” of their dedication and commitment within their everyday lives. Helena captures the dedicated concentration of jewellery designer Adeline Rapon as she evolves and develops her designs; she captures the grace of ballerina Melissa Chapski as she perfects the perfect pirouette; and she photographs the enigmatic Maria Fagerström, an international pilot who has travelled almost every corner of the world.

The HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro smartphones were launched at a spectacular event on Tuesday 27 March at the iconic Grand Palais in Paris. This stunning venue has long held strong associations with the world’s most fashionable brands, from Chanel to Hermes; and Huawei follows in the footsteps of these designers to show the intersection of fashion and technology in the beautifully-crafted HUAWEI P20 series.

For full details and to check availability in the UK, please visit http://consumer.huawei.com. The HUAWEI P20 Series will be available to buy in the UK in April, and to pre-order from today, from retailers including Carphone Warehouse and EE. Pricing varies between retailers.

Follow Huawei on Instagram and Twitter (@HuaweiMobile) to discover more from the #SeeMooore campaign with Helena Christensen.

Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some sample images taken with the new Huawei P20 smartphone.

A gallery of sample images taken with the Huawei P20 smartphone.

Huawei P20 Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Huawei P20 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Huawei RAW (DNG) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

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