Australian T3 - May 2018

Discover more at techradar.com/au WINTER 2018 T3 81

Huawei P20 Pro

you get a camera that’s shockingly
good in low light, capable of pulling
out noise-free details we’re unable to
see with the naked eye.
Huawei has created a super-fast
autofocus system too, and it even has
predictive focus to keep any moving
objects pin sharp. It also uses AI for
better results in each photo: it
instantly recognises what you’re
shooting and adjusts the image
processing accordingly. For example,
it will know when you’re taking a
picture of a flower and boost the
saturation. If you’re taking a portrait
it will automatically smooth the skin
and blur the background.
We rate the Google Pixel 2 as the
best phone camera on the market,
and the difference between it and this
one is down to taste. he Pixel 2 is
more like a point-and-shoot camera,
while the P20 Pro is more like a DSLR,
where you need to play with the
settings and modes to get the most
out of it. It definitely bests the iPhone
X and Galaxy S9, though.
Everything the P20 Pro camera is
doing is quick as hell, powered by an
octa-core processor and its special AI
chip. In fact, anything we did on the

phone, from opening apps to

watching videos, is super responsive.

he Huawei P20 Pro runs Android

Oreo 8.1 with Huawei’s EMUI 8.1 skin

on top. he skin is improved greatly

over previous versions, but still not

quite as attractive as stock Android.

Popularity contest

he OLED display is excellent,

striking a good balance between

natural and oversaturated. It is lower

resolution than the Galaxy S9, but

you’ll only notice the lack of pixels

when side-by-side. he display is

sharp, bright and pleasing to look at.

he battery is a massive 4,000mAh

unit, leading to huge longevity. We

often find ourselves ending a day with

50 per cent remaining and we are not

light users. In fact, we’re not sure how

Huawei managed this trick in a phone

that measures just 7.8mm thick.

he P20 Pro is outstanding in other

more boring and often overlooked

areas such as speaker quality and

wireless performance. he phone also

manages to get 4G signal where others

usually fail to do so. For example,

blackspots in the more rural areas

around the luxury T3 estates.

he Huawei P20 Pro is a very

impressive smartphone. It’s powerful,

fast, refined, stylish and, perhaps

most importantly of all, desirable. he

biggest criticism that can be drawn

against it is that the handset looks like

an iPhone X, and people may dismiss

it instantly as a knock-off because of

that. We’d love to see Huawei carve

more of its own look in the overall

design, but the gorgeous pink and

blue gradient finishes already give it

a luxe identity of its own.

So don’t dismiss the Huawei P20

Pro purely as an iPhone X also-ran.

his is as good an Android phone as

the best out there right now, a truly

incredible camera, and an object of

desire on its own merit.

WE’RE IMPRESSEDPremium

look and feel; amazing triple

camera system; improved Android

software; great battery life.

WE’D IMPROVE Design

admittedly a bit samey; interface

still needs some work.

THE LAST WORD This a truly

attractive handset that sets the

cat among the black glass pigeons,

with its top specs, phenomenal

camera, quality build and very

smart AI features.

VERDICT

Premium phones

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sensor on the front

are rare these days,

but the P20 Pro

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EASYACC SOFT

ANTI-SLIP CASE

No, this isn’t the sturdiest

case in the world, but if

you want something to add

enough protection for a light

drop, and that still lets you

see the full glory of the P20

Pro’s design, this is perfect.

$16.71, amazon.com/au

HUAWEI SMART

VIEW FLIP CASE

7KLVRIĆFLDO+XDZHLFDVH

gives you front and back

protection, with a clever

translucent portion of the

front cover that shows the

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even when it’s closed.

$32.99, mobilezap.com.au

ESSENTIAL PROTECTION

Meet more of the best Android

phones: bit.ly/t3bestandroid