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Huawei P9 Review

Huawei P9 Review

Huawei P9 Review

Introduction


Some say that the best camera is the one you have with you, which is one of the reasons why people now turn to their phones for snapping the occasional photo. The Huawei P9, however, doesn’t want to be just another phone with a good camera. It is here to reinvent smartphone photography with its dual-camera setup, engineered in partnership with Leica.

Huawei P9 Review
Huawei P9 Review
Bold claims aside, the Huawei P9 is the company’s latest flagship Android smartphone, and as such, it aims to impress with more than just its intriguing photographic capabilities. It has been engineered to meet the expectations of a broad range of customers, including those who demand the very best. Needless to say, high-end rivals from Apple, Samsung, and LG have set the bar high, but the P9 is shaping up as a phone that can leap over it. Let us find out if that’s the case.

The box contains:

  • Huawei P9
  • Wall charger (Output: 5V, 2A)
  • USB Type-A to USB Type-C cable
  • Wired stereo headset with microphone and volume buttons
  • SIM card tray ejector
  • Quick start guide

Design


“I’m an individual that favors style and exquisite build quality. I’m also secretly into Battlestar Galactica.” – this is the statement you’ll be making if you’re seen holding one of these. Indeed, whoever designed the Huawei P9 knows their stuff. The chamfered edges make for a smooth transition between the curved-edge glass covering the screen and the metal back plate of this appealing handset, while the sides and corners are rounded just right to make the unit comfortable to hold. But a dash of “nerd” has been added to the formula, and we’re not sure whether we like it or not. That camera setup at the back spoils the otherwise elegant appearance of the P9, although it also serves as a reminder that the dual-lens snapper is the phone’s key highlight. 

Huawei P9
5.71 x 2.79 x 0.27 inches
145 x 70.9 x 6.95 mm
5.08 oz (144 g)

Huawei P9

Apple iPhone 6s
5.44 x 2.64 x 0.28 inches
138.3 x 67.1 x 7.1 mm
5.04 oz (143 g)

Apple iPhone 6s

Samsung Galaxy S7
5.61 x 2.74 x 0.31 inches
142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm
5.36 oz (152 g)

Samsung Galaxy S7

LG G5
5.88 x 2.91 x 0.29 inches
149.4 x 73.9 x 7.3 mm
5.61 oz (159 g)

LG G5


To see the phones in real size or compare them with other models, visit our Visual Phone Size Comparison page.
As we hinted above, the Huawei P9 is pleasant to touch and hold. It is light and not as large as you might expect considering the size of its display. Conveniently placed on its right side are the power key and volume rocker. And speaking of convenience, at the phone’s bottom we see a USB Type-C port, meaning that the charging cable goes in either way. Your old Micro USB cables will not work with this new connector, however.

On the back of the Huawei P9 we find a fingerprint reader – one of the fastest we’ve ever used. It is highly reliable as well, rarely failing to read our finger correctly from the first try. Moreover, it has been integrated into the software, but we’ll dive deeper into that on the next page.

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