Huawei P smart Pro Smartphone Review - The most unnecessary smartphone in 2020
Not only the P Smart Z from the same manufacturer, but also the Honor 9X look exactly like the newest pop-up camera model from Huawei, the P smart Pro. In order to be able to continue to offer Google Services in Germany as well as other countries, the Chinese manufacturer keeps the specifications mostly the same.
All three Huawei smartphones share the design, a 6.59-inch LCD display with 2340x1080 pixels, a 16-MP pop-up camera, as well as the Kirin 710F and a 4000 mAh battery. The only differences are the color options, the storage, the camera equipment, and the placement of the fingerprint sensor.
Comparison Devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
76.7 % | 06/2020 | Huawei P smart Pro Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4 | 206 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.59" | 2340x1080 | |
81.3 % | 04/2020 | Huawei P40 Lite Kirin 810, Mali-G52 MP6 | 183 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.40" | 2310x1080 | |
82 % | 02/2020 | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G SD 765G, Adreno 620 | 208 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.67" | 2400x1080 | |
82.1 % | 02/2020 | Samsung Galaxy A71 SD 730, Adreno 618 | 179 g | 128 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.70" | 2400x1080 | |
81.6 % | 07/2019 | Xiaomi Mi 9T SD 730, Adreno 618 | 191 g | 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.39" | 2340x1080 | |
75.7 % | 11/2019 | Honor 9X Kirin 710, Mali-G51 MP4 | 197 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.59" | 2340x1080 |
Case - The P smart Pro looks cheap
Similar to its sibling models, the P Smart Pro bets on a notch-free look, with a 16-MP selfie camera popping up from the case when needed. For this reason, the 6.59-inch display also does not need a punch hole, giving the Huawei smartphone its 84% display-to-surface ratio, which is efficient for a smartphone in the mid-range price segment.
The slightly curved back is available in the colors black (Midnight Black) and blue (Breathing Crystal) and is made from plastic that does not feel very high-quality in the hands. This feeling is amplified by the plastic frame and the slightly hollow back that we already complained about in the Honor 9X and P Smart Z.
Equipment - A 3.5-mm audio port in the Huawei smartphone
Video content from streaming services can be watched in HD quality on the P smart Pro, because the Widevine DRM level is specified as L1. In our test unit, the internal UFS storage offers a capacity of 128 GB, with only about 113 GB available in the state of delivery. The storage continues to be expandable up to 512 GB via the microSD slot, with the exFAT file system being supported.
Software - Huawei smartphone with Android 9
On the P smart Pro, Android version 9, which is not current anymore, is installed and extended by the in-house EMUI 9 user interface. At the time of our testing, the security patches are on the level of January 2020.
Communication and GPS - Slow WLAN in the Huawei P smart Pro
The integrated WLAN module supports the IEEE 802.11 b/g/n standards, and the transfer speeds we measured between the Huawei smartphone and our Netgear Nighthawk AX12 reference router turn out correspondingly low. For wireless communication with peripheral devices, there is also an NFC chip. The Huawei smartphone is only able to support version 4.2 of Bluetooth.
With its hybrid slot, the dual-SIM smartphone can access the mobile Internet at LTE speeds with up to two nanoSIM cards. The number of frequency bands supported by the P smart Pro is low, and the mid-range smartphone can only access 6 LTE bands.
In order to evaluate the locating accuracy of our test unit in practice, we record a route in parallel with the Garmin Edge 500 GPS bike computer for comparison. With more than 300 meters (0.19 miles), the measured deviation of the GPS module is relatively high. The locating can also take several minutes, until the position is determined by the GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou satellite systems.
Telephone Functions and Voice Quality - P smart Pro without VoLTE
While we saw a Wi-Fi Calling option in the settings, we could not find an option for Voice over LTE (VoLTE), which allows voice calls using the 4G net. The voice quality ranges at a solid level. The reception of the integrated radio module is also average.
Cameras - A Huawei smartphone with a 48-MP camera
Although the motorized 16-MP front camera is no selfie champion, it is quite suitable for social-media content. Huawei has equipped the back with a triple-camera arrangement. As already in the Honor 9X, the main camera consists of a 48-MP wide-angle module with the Sony IMX582 image sensor and an open aperture of f/1.8. The wide-angle lens has a resolution of 8 MP, and the third 2-MP sensor is used to compute depth information.
In daylight, the Sony camera sensor offers quite a lot of details and a good image sharpness same as in the Xiaomi Mi 9T. As our camera tests have already revealed, the Sony IMX sensor in the Huawei smartphone has visible weaknesses in bad light conditions. To play videos in UHD resolution is not possible.
Accessories and Warranty - The Huawei smartphone includes a case
The P smart Pro is delivered with a modular 10-Watt charger, a USB cable, and a protective cover.
The warranty period is 24 months starting from the purchase date.
Input Devices and Operation - P smart Pro with a fingerprint sensor on the side
The 6.59-inch display translates inputs accurately and quickly up to the corners of the touchscreen. The P smart Pro offers a fast and reliable fingerprint sensor that is placed in the frame. As in the two sibling models, there is still no biometric authentication via 2D face recognition by the front camera.
Display - Huawei P smart Pro with LCD
With a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels and a diagonal of 6.59 inches, the display achieves a pixel density of 391 ppi, which ensures sufficiently sharp display contents in regular use and at normal viewing distances.
At 480 cd/m², the maximum brightness we measured is absolutely satisfactory for a 2020 mid-range smartphone, and with an activated brightness sensor, the P smart Pro only achieves 475 cd/m². The realistic APL50 test (Average Picture Level) with evenly distributed bright and dark areas also results in an almost similar maximum brightness of only 452 cd/m².
|
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 480 cd/m²
Contrast: 1021:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 7.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.4% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.27
Huawei P smart Pro TFT-LCD (LTPS), 2340x1080, 6.59 | Huawei P40 Lite IPS, 2310x1080, 6.40 | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G LCD IPS, 2400x1080, 6.67 | Samsung Galaxy A71 AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.70 | Xiaomi Mi 9T AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.39 | Honor 9X LCD IPS, 2340x1080, 6.59 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen | 17% | 37% | 41% | 42% | 2% | |
Brightness middle | 480 | 478 0% | 658 37% | 629 31% | 589 23% | 494 3% |
Brightness | 459 | 448 -2% | 643 40% | 646 41% | 589 28% | 483 5% |
Brightness Distribution | 87 | 87 0% | 93 7% | 95 9% | 96 10% | 94 8% |
Black Level * | 0.47 | 0.49 -4% | 0.49 -4% | 0.51 -9% | ||
Contrast | 1021 | 976 -4% | 1343 32% | 969 -5% | ||
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.7 | 3 47% | 1.8 68% | 2.7 53% | 2.5 56% | 5.74 -1% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 11.3 | 5.6 50% | 4.4 61% | 6 47% | 4.9 57% | 10.26 9% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.8 | 4.1 47% | 3.8 51% | 3 62% | 1.6 79% | 7.3 6% |
Gamma | 2.27 97% | 2.26 97% | 2.22 99% | 2.1 105% | 2.24 98% | 2.086 105% |
CCT | 8813 74% | 7282 89% | 6255 104% | 6340 103% | 6544 99% | 8572 76% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The panel's black value of 0.47 cd/m² results in a contrast ratio of about 1000:1 for the Huawei smartphone, which is a bit low considering the OLED competitors and the Redmi K30. In the realistic APL50 measurement, we determine a black value of 0.48 cd/m², slightly reducing the contrast ratio some more.
Using the i1pro 2 X-Rite photo spectrometer and the CalMAN analysis software, we evaluate the color reproduction of the P smart Pro display. At 7.8 for grayscale and 5.7 for the mixed colors, the average Delta-E deviations are significantly above the ideal target range of <3. The LCD of the P smart Pro covers most of the sRGB color space.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise | |
↘ 18 ms fall | ||
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
51.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 21.2 ms rise | |
↘ 30 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 86 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms). |
On sunny days, the liquid crystal display does not offer sufficient brightness to be able to read the display contents without difficulties. However, the stability of the viewing angles is good, and the decrease of brightness is low even at extreme viewing angles.
Performance - Huawei smartphone with HiSilicon Kirin 710F
The HiSilicon Kirin 710F from the year 2018 built into the Huawei P smart Pro uses four ARM Cortex-A73 processor cores with up to 2.2 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores with up to 1.7 GHz in a big.LITTLE coupling. The "F" in the model label stands for FCCSP (Flip Chip Chip Scale Package), so it is manufactured slightly differently than the Kirin 710 without the "F" in the label. The integrated graphics card is an ARM Mali-G51 MP4.
In the benchmarks, the Kirin 710F in combination with 6 GB of RAM is unable to keep up with the Android competitors in our test. The results of the P smart Pro are inferior particularly compared to a current Kirin SoC as built into the Huawei P40 Lite, or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G in the Redmi K30 in the processor-heavy as well as the graphics-intensive benchmarks.
In everyday operation, the system performance is satisfactory, and the navigation in the Android user interface works mostly smoothly. However, during multi-tasking there are some noticeable delays, and the load times are longer. In combination with the very slow WLAN module, the Huawei smartphone looks a little outdated in terms of its performance and shows little mastery of the daily demands.
AnTuTu v8 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Huawei P smart Pro | |
Huawei P40 Lite | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
Samsung Galaxy A71 | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (185725 - 194475, n=2) |
Basemark GPU 1.1 | |
1920x1080 Vulkan Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (7.38 - 8, n=2) | |
Vulkan Medium Native (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (7.26 - 9.43, n=2) | |
1920x1080 OpenGL Medium Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (10.3 - 10.3, n=2) |
VRMark - Amber Room (sort by value) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (961 - 1146, n=3) | |
Average of class Smartphone (2523 - 10071, n=12, last 2 years) |
Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=173, last 2 years) | |
Huawei P40 Lite (Huawei Browser 10.1.0.300) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
Samsung Galaxy A71 (Chrome 79.0.3945.136) | |
Huawei P smart Pro (Chrome 74) | |
Honor 9X (Chrome 78) | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (30 - 33, n=8) |
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
Huawei P40 Lite (Huawei Browser 10.1.0.300) | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
Samsung Galaxy A71 (Chrome 79.0.3945.136) | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (47 - 55.1, n=10) |
Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=157, last 2 years) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
Huawei P40 Lite (Huawei Browser 10.1.0.300) | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
Honor 9X (Chrome 78) | |
Samsung Galaxy A71 (Chrome 79.0.3945.136) | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (30.4 - 33.9, n=6) |
WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years) | |
Huawei P40 Lite (Huawei Browser 10.1.0.300) | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
Huawei P smart Pro (Chrome 74) | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (52 - 69, n=11) | |
Samsung Galaxy A71 (Chrome 79.0.3945.136) |
Octane V2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=211, last 2 years) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
Huawei P40 Lite (Huawei Browser 10.1.0.300) | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
Samsung Galaxy A71 (Chrome 79.0.3945.136) | |
Huawei P smart Pro (Chrome 74) | |
Honor 9X (Chrome 78) | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (9041 - 10544, n=13) |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
Huawei P smart Pro (Chrome 74) | |
Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 (3999 - 4853, n=13) | |
Honor 9X (Chrome 78) | |
Samsung Galaxy A71 (Chrome 79.0.3945.136) | |
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G (Chrome 80) | |
Xiaomi Mi 9T (Chrome 75.0.3770.101) | |
Huawei P40 Lite (Huawei Browser 10.1.0.300) | |
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=173, last 2 years) |
* ... smaller is better
Huawei P smart Pro | Huawei P40 Lite | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G | Samsung Galaxy A71 | Xiaomi Mi 9T | Honor 9X | Average 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AndroBench 3-5 | 5% | -1% | -20% | -24% | -1% | 2% | 171% | |
Sequential Read 256KB | 822 | 913 11% | 890 8% | 493 -40% | 492.7 -40% | 860 5% | 760 ? -8% | 1505 ? 83% |
Sequential Write 256KB | 195.4 | 181.7 -7% | 312.8 60% | 192.4 -2% | 179.2 -8% | 196.1 0% | 297 ? 52% | 1112 ? 469% |
Random Read 4KB | 154.3 | 157.3 2% | 96.8 -37% | 112.3 -27% | 128.6 -17% | 142.3 -8% | 152.9 ? -1% | 247 ? 60% |
Random Write 4KB | 156.3 | 175.4 12% | 101 -35% | 109.6 -30% | 107.8 -31% | 159.3 2% | 131.6 ? -16% | 271 ? 73% |
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 76.5 ? | 82.6 ? 8% | 73.4 ? -4% | 76.2 ? 0% | 76 ? -1% | |||
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 69 ? | 70.6 ? 2% | 57.2 ? -17% | 67.1 ? -3% | 59.6 ? -14% |
Games - Huawei smartphone without gaming ambitions
The mid-range GPU in the P smart Pro is based on the Bifrost architecture and uses four of the possible twelve cores in the MP4 variant. In terms of the graphics APIs, the Mali-G51 supports graphics standards such as OpenGL ES 3.2, Vulkan 1.0, OpenCL 2.0, as well as DirectX 11 and Renderscript.
Graphically demanding games such as "PUBG Mobile" or "Asphalt 9" are playable at high details with the P smart Pro. However, in the best quality settings we see repeated drops in the frame rates.
Emissions - P smart Pro with low heat development in everyday operation
Temperature
In our measurements, the surface temperatures turn out moderate, and there is hardly any noticeable temperature development in everyday operation.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.4 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.6 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The audible range of the mono speaker in the Huawei smartphone is not very linear, and the sound spectrum is dominated by tones of middle and high frequencies as expected. Bass cannot be heard with the speaker in the P smart Pro.
In contrast to the quite tinny sounding speaker at the bottom of the case, the 3.5-mm audio port is sufficiently loud for music reproduction and free from noise.
Huawei P smart Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 31% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 40% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 53% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 59% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (1.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 34% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 58% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 54% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 38% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery Life - Huawei smartphone with good endurance
Power Consumption
The 4000-mAh battery is charged via the Type-C connection at the bottom. The power consumption is inconspicuous and at the level of other Kirin 710 smartphones.
Off / Standby | 0.01 / 0.05 Watt |
Idle | 0.98 / 2.36 / 2.41 Watt |
Load |
4.12 / 7.8 Watt |
Huawei P smart Pro 4000 mAh | Huawei P40 Lite 4200 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G 4500 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A71 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 9T 4000 mAh | Honor 9X 4000 mAh | Average HiSilicon Kirin 710 | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 16% | -6% | 21% | 45% | -57% | -3% | 7% | |
Idle Minimum * | 0.98 | 0.79 19% | 0.66 33% | 0.63 36% | 0.54 45% | 2.3 -135% | 1.058 ? -8% | 0.897 ? 8% |
Idle Average * | 2.36 | 2.14 9% | 2.37 -0% | 1.49 37% | 0.95 60% | 3 -27% | 2.2 ? 7% | 1.452 ? 38% |
Idle Maximum * | 2.41 | 2.23 7% | 2.42 -0% | 1.51 37% | 1.08 55% | 4.2 -74% | 2.57 ? -7% | 1.629 ? 32% |
Load Average * | 4.12 | 3.6 13% | 6.8 -65% | 4.62 -12% | 2.7 34% | 5.3 -29% | 4.61 ? -12% | 5.55 ? -35% |
Load Maximum * | 7.8 | 5.17 34% | 7.5 4% | 7.11 9% | 5.4 31% | 9.4 -21% | 7.6 ? 3% | 8.31 ? -7% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
In our WLAN test at an adjusted display brightness, the P smart Pro lasts for a good 12.5 hours, with the competitors lasting significantly longer at times.
Huawei P smart Pro 4000 mAh | Huawei P40 Lite 4200 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi K30 5G 4500 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A71 4500 mAh | Xiaomi Mi 9T 4000 mAh | Honor 9X 4000 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | ||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 757 | 1007 33% | 802 6% | 815 8% | 991 31% | 832 10% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Less sometimes is more ...
From our point of view it is not clear why the Chinese manufacturer would repeatedly bring a new reissue of the P smart Z to the market, since last year's Honor 9X is already a Huawei P Smart Z with a storage upgrade and a slightly improved main camera.
The price of the Huawei P smart Pro has to fall significantly to make the whole package attractive.
The question then presents itself why users should not choose a Honor 9X, since the price for that has dropped in the meantime by more than 100 Euros (~$114) making it significantly more affordable than the P smart Pro. It also comes without the extremely slow WLAN module.
Unfortunately, the Huawei smartphone (still) does not support NFC, which would really be a must, considering the price class. Accordingly, it cannot be used for functions such as contactless payments. In addition, the P smart Pro is delivered with Android 9, which is not current anymore, as well as outdated security patches. But at least Google Services such as the Play Store are preinstalled.
Those who are looking for a mid-range smartphone in a strong overall package should take a look at our review of the Xiaomi Redmi K30.
Huawei P smart Pro
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05/18/2020 v7
Marcus Herbrich