The new Huawei P50 Pro arrives in Spain as a different alternative to the rest of the mid-range, looking for its own niche of users who do not consider its deficiencies as important and appreciate its advantages.
The launch of the Huawei P50 Pro may surprise you a bit, considering that it was launched in China in July 2021; We are used to waiting a bit when it comes to Chinese mobiles, but this long period has caused Huawei to launch this device right in the middle of a renewal period in the high range, with launches of direct rivals such as the or the .
Therefore, you may be wondering if this phone is worth considering at this point, and I don’t blame you. On paper, it’s been outclassed, and that’s without taking into account important aspects like software support. But after trying it out, I think I’ve discovered several reasons why you might want to buy it.
A mobile that attracts glances
The design is one of the most surprising aspects of this P50 Pro. As is tradition in the range, an “all-screen” design with curved edges that hug the side is maintained; a choice that will please and annoy in equal measure, since it makes it more difficult to grasp and slips more easily, but in return it is much more pleasing to the eye.
But it’s the back that really stands out, with a very different set of cameras than we’re used to; I remember that, when the first images were leaked, it was similar to a “ceramic hob”, but in person it is much more beautiful and shows that this is a special mobile with very marked priorities. The materials chosen are also of high quality, and the phone weighs less than its size of 6.6 inches may indicate.
Huawei knows very well what its strengths are, and has thrown the rest into the design. The version that I have been able to test is the black one, which is usually the simplest and most discreet; but that’s not the case here, with a very attractive dark gray and metallic pink rims on the camera array. In addition, it will also be available in gold, if you really want to stand out.
This is one of those mobiles that is embarrassing to use with a case, you really want everyone to see it, as a demonstration of the good taste you have.
Hardware: up to par, but not top
With so much design prominence, it’s no wonder the screen has received so much love. It is a 6.6-inch OLED panel, with everything we could wish for: great brightness, good color treatment and, of course, a 120Hz refresh rate for a very smooth experience when navigating the interface and when we play.
It is not the best panel on the market, but the truth is that it is not bad at all. It is sharp, and the behavior is good with all types of content. In fact, perhaps the worst thing I can say is that I don’t have much to say: it’s just good, but not the best.
I cannot say the same about what we find inside: a Snapdragon 888. This processor is already of the last generation, taking into account that the first phones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 are about to arrive. It is the main consequence of the delay since its launch in China, that what was a good processor has now fallen a bit behind. Not that it lacks power, of course, considering that it was already one of the best, but now you will feel that it is a step below, if you think that is important.
In my tests, I have not really noticed that this mobile is less powerful just because it has a Snapdragon 888; It’s still very fast and capable of running all kinds of apps without breaking a sweat, and the best thing is that the phone doesn’t get very hot. The only problem I foresee is if apps become more demanding in the future, but now this chip is up to the task.
More worrying for the average user is that this Snapdragon 888 is not compatible with 5G networks, due to the blockade that the United States still maintains on Huawei. Although the company claims that it is working on alternatives to support 5G on its mobiles, it is somewhat shocking that this is the only leading model that remains in 4G. Of course, if your carrier doesn’t offer 5G in your area, that doesn’t matter, but it means you won’t be able to take advantage of the higher bandwidth in the coming months and years.
All in all, the experience with the Huawei P50 Pro is very good, and I find few faults, with powerful speakers and a fast interface.
Are these the best cameras on a mobile?
It’s a question I’ve constantly asked myself while testing the P50 Pro. For context, I tried the Google Pixel 6 not too long ago, and then I thought exactly the same thing, but for very different reasons. While Google opted for basic sensors whose image was enhanced by its Artificial Intelligence algorithms, Huawei’s tactic is more direct.
The quality of these cameras is superior from the start, and Huawei also has several ‘tricks’ up its sleeve, starting with the collaboration with the Leica brand that has continued for several generations.
The main sensor is 50 MP, which does not sound surprising but believe me when I say that it is not far behind in image quality compared to higher resolution sensors. Much of the blame lies with the laser autofocus, which ensures that the subject we are photographing is never out of focus. In my tests, this has made it easier to take photos in low-light situations, as well as perfectly focusing on the people I was photographing, capturing all the details. A detail that I especially liked is the contrast, and that even the smallest details are saved, such as textures and text.
The reason the photos are so detailed is because of the 40 MP black and white camera. Huawei’s camera app uses this additional information to improve the photos we take, so the result is better than when we’re looking at them in the camera viewfinder. It is something that we will notice especially in the elimination of “noise”, and we will notice that the photos have less grain even in low light situations. The 13 MP wide-angle camera, on the other hand, has nothing special going for it; in fact, I was a bit annoyed that the colors it captures are more saturated than with the main camera.
Finally, the most curious camera is the 64 MP telephoto, which offers a 3.5x optical zoom, with 16 MP photos; but it is also possible to take photos with 10x magnification, which actually crops the 64 MP image and applies software magnification to it. The results are incredible, with a camera that is capable of capturing even the smallest details.
The selfie camera also deserves a mention despite being “only” 13 MP, as the focus is very good; It is also appreciated that the app asks us if we want to activate the beauty mode, instead of applying it directly and having to remove it manually, as happens in many mobiles (especially Chinese brands).
Huawei stumbles on software
Surely you’re thinking “Okay, now is when he complains that there are no Google apps”, but no. The truth is that I have already accepted that Huawei mobile devices will not have access to the Play Store or Google apps, with all that this entails; and honestly, at this point it doesn’t bother me much. There are alternatives, other ways of doing things, services that do not depend on Google, etc. Once you discover them, it’s just a matter of adapting.
Ok, if you buy a Huawei mobile you will have more work ahead of you to leave it as you want, but that is not something new for this P50 Pro. With everything that has been written on the subject, it really is not worth mentioning anymore unless the things change.
No, my real complaint has to do with the way Huawei’s platform is evolving; or rather, involuting. I am going to give as an example what was my favorite Huawei app, Petal Search; It arrived more or less with the P40 Pro, and it was a simple web browser, with the possibility of not only searching for information on the Internet, but also applications in .apk format to install them without the need to access the Play Store. So it quickly became an essential app if you had a Huawei.
The version of Petal Search that comes with the P50 Pro, by contrast, is a cacophony of content that is constantly bombarding you with information you don’t care about, from clickbait-filled political news, to “promotions” (i.e., spam ); For having, it even has a store to buy DIY, clothes, beauty items, or basically anything you can think of, as if it were a hundred everything. Oh, and of course, he has a personal assistant that you won’t use. Petal Search has become so fat with unnecessary stuff that I’ve caught myself avoiding using it.
All Huawei apps seem to have undergone this transformation. The moment where I really got angry was when I opened the mapping app Petal Maps, one of the jewels in the crown of the company, and it asked me for my phone number to send me advertising SMS! Huawei, I’m lost, right now I just want to know where I am, I don’t have time for such things.
Strikingly, the experience that Spanish users will have will be somewhat different from that of Chinese users. Although the P50 Pro was one of the first phones to use the new HarmonyOS 2.0 system, for our market Huawei has decided to return to Android with the EMUI layer, just like previous models. Although , but it seems that it has been a missed opportunity to launch the new system here.
For a specific user
He is one of the most special devices that I have been able to test; but that is precisely what makes it not recommended for everyone.
My theory is that this device is more aimed at a specific niche, at a type of user with very specific demands and who is able to see beyond their obvious mistakes. In many ways it is like no other, with a very sleek design and exceptional cameras; And as I said before, if you don’t mind messing around a bit, it’s perfectly possible to use it as a daily mobile.
The real question you have to ask yourself is not if the Huawei P50 Pro is a good mobile; that is more than obvious. The question is whether you can pay 1,199 euros for the privilege of having it. Yes, it is expensive, there is no other way to say it; most of its rivals cost several hundred euros…