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Huawei P10 Smartphone Review

Next please! Ten is more than nine - and Huawei develops its P10 according to this strategy. A faster SoC, more storage, bigger battery, and a better camera. The design is rounder and the fingerprint scanner has been moved to the front. Not revolutionary, but the Chinese manufacturer does not show weaknesses with the Huawei P10.
Update: Updates regarding flash storage and WLAN performance.
Update: Firmware B365 released to improve security.

For the original German review, see here.

Huawei's P10 is a successful upgrade of its predecessor. Opposing the trend, the screen has been reduced slightly to 5.1-inches now and thus offers exactly the same diameter as the category leader Galaxy S7 by Samsung. The proprietary Kirin 960, which is also installed in the Mate 9, is responsible for calculations. Compared with the predecessor, the memory has grown and now equals 4 GB of working memory and 64 GB of internal storage (P9: 3 GB RAM, 32 GB flash). With LTE Cat.12, the P10 can also achieve the highest download speeds when on the go. The same camera module is used as in the Mate 9, but its software has allegedly been optimized. The battery capacity has also grown by 200 to 3200 mAh. Unfortunately, the P10 is also again a bit more expensive and this version costs 599 Euros (~$646).

A Plus model that will have an even higher price of 749 Euros (~$808) will also be launched. It has a bigger screen with a higher resolution (5.5-inch, 2560x1440 pixels), more memory (6 GB RAM, 128 GB flash), a stronger battery (3750 mAh), an infrared transmitter, and a more light-sensitive Leica dual-camera.

However, the rivals in the forms of Samsung's Galaxy S7, Sony's Xperia XZ, HTC's 10, Apple's iPhone 7, LG's G6, and the Moto Z are quite able to compete.

Huawei P10 (P10 Series)
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 960 8 x 2.4 GHz, Cortex-A73/-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
, LPDDR4
Display
5.10 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 432 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, 10 touch points, Knuckle Touch, LTPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash, 64 GB 
, 49.66 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm combo jack, Card Reader: micro-SD max. 256 GB (SDHC, SDXC), 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: proximity, Hall, accelerometer, position and G sensor, pace counter, digital compass, BeiDou, OTG, Wifi Direct, Miracast
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM/GPRS/Edge (850, 900, 1800 and 1900 MHz), UMTS/HSPA+ (bands 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 19), LTE Cat. 12 (bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 26, 28, 29, 38, 38, 40 and 41), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 6.98 x 145.3 x 69.3 ( = 0.27 x 5.72 x 2.73 in)
Battery
3200 mAh Lithium-Ion, Huawei SuperCharge, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 23 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 359 h
Operating System
Android 7.0 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 20 MPix MP monochrome + 12 MP RGB Leica dual-camera (Summarit-H 1:2.2/27 mm ASPH, hybrid zoom, hybrid-AF, OIS, 4K video recording, bi-color LED flash)
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix Leica camera (fix focus)
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker, Keyboard: virtual, charger, USB cable, headset, cover, SIM tool, quick start guide, warranty card, EMUI 5.1, 36 Months Warranty, USB Type-C, head SAR: 1.49 W/kg, body SAR: 0.54 W/kg, fanless
Weight
144 g ( = 5.08 oz / 0.32 pounds), Power Supply: 102 g ( = 3.6 oz / 0.22 pounds)
Price
599 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Huawei's P10 will be offered in even more colors at its launch in Europe: Mystic Silver, Graphite Black, Prestige Gold, and Dazzling Blue. Its dimensions are very similar to those of the P9 although its screen has shrunk. This is noticed in the somewhat bigger casing area above and below the screen. The fingerprint scanner that is now situated on the front likely needs a bit more room here.

At a height of just below seven millimeters, the P10 is very slim and is not too heavy at 144 grams. It is pleasant to hold thanks to its curved edges and feels good. The aluminum casing's stiffness is simply superb, but it can be twisted when using enough force. The glass on the front can also be pressed visibly, but it only produces a minor wave formation on the LTPS screen.

The card tray is also made of aluminum but its color tone is completely different in our black review sample, and it thus stands out very visibly from the rest of the smartphone. Then again, it closes very flush with the aluminum body. The gaps basically do not give reason for complaint as they are narrow and even.

Unfortunately, Huawei's P10 does not have the trendy but also practical dust and water IP certification. However, it also has the splash-proof nano-coating known from the P9.

Third generation (left to right): Huawei P8, P9, and the new P10.
Third generation (left to right): Huawei P8, P9, and the new P10.
Third generation (left to right): Huawei P8, P9, and the new P10.

Size Comparison

148.9 mm / 5.86 in 71.9 mm / 2.83 in 7.9 mm / 0.311 in 163 g0.3594 lbs146 mm / 5.75 in 72 mm / 2.83 in 8.1 mm / 0.3189 in 161 g0.3549 lbs145.3 mm / 5.72 in 69.3 mm / 2.73 in 6.98 mm / 0.2748 in 144 g0.3175 lbs145 mm / 5.71 in 70.9 mm / 2.79 in 6.95 mm / 0.2736 in 144 g0.3175 lbs142.4 mm / 5.61 in 69.6 mm / 2.74 in 7.9 mm / 0.311 in 152 g0.3351 lbs138.3 mm / 5.44 in 67.1 mm / 2.64 in 7.1 mm / 0.2795 in 138 g0.3042 lbs148 mm / 5.83 in 105 mm / 4.13 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The micro-SD card slot in Huawei's P10 supports all common formats and memory card capacities, which reached up to 256 GB at test time. The inserted memory can be set up as the standard drive, but apps are still stored in the internal storage although their additional data is moved to the micro-SD.

The USB Type-C port only transfers data in the 2.0 standard, but it supports OTG, making it possible to connect portable storage devices or other peripherals to the smartphone. The interface cannot output audio or video signals. Like in the P9, it is possible to choose whether a PC can only access photos, the entire data storage or if the smartphone is only to be recharged when connected to a computer. Furthermore, a virtual CD drive is created on the computer, which can be installed via the HiSuite software. It allows creating local backups for the smartphone, manage data or installing updates.

This time, only a single-SIM model will be offered in Germany. The dual-SIM version with a hybrid slot will be available in other countries. All models feature NFC and Bluetooth 4.2. A notification LED is also present, but it cannot be adapted.

Left: card slot
Left: card slot
Upper edge: microphone
Upper edge: microphone
Right: volume, power
Right: volume, power
Lower edge: speaker, USB, microphone, audio
Lower edge: speaker, USB, microphone, audio

Software

Huawei's P10 uses Google's Android 7.0 Nougat operating system and covers it with the company's own EMUI 5.1 user interface, which is very similar to the 5.0 version in the Mate 9. The fixed integration of a virus scanner by Avast and a block list that provides many settings are some new features. Google's security patches are dated February 1, 2017, which is quite up-to-date. If the update policy is like that of the Mate 9, it should be updated regularly.

However, the EMUI 5.x and its new features apparently need a lot of storage. The firmware of Huawei's P10 reserves a total of 11.34 GB. It is just 6.92 GB in the P9 with Android 7.0.

Update 11/7/2017: The firmware update to version B133 has also updated the security patch level to 5th April 2017.

Update 3/3/2018: Firmware version VTR-L09 8.0.0.360 containing the upgrade to Android 8.0 Oreo and EMUI 8.0 has been released. Security patches have been brought up-to-date (2/1/2018).

Update 5/2/2018: Firmware version VTR-L09 8.0.0.365 has been released. It contains a patch to optimize UI text rendering and updates Android’s security patches to 3/1/2018.

Communication and GPS

In the best case, Huawei's P10 accesses mobile Internet via LTE Cat.12 and allows downloads at a speed of up to 600 MBit/s and uploads at up to 75 MBit/s. However, we liked the smartphone's broad frequency range even more than the fast, theoretical maximum speeds. It supports four GSM, seven 3G, and 21 LTE bands. The manufacturer also installs four antennas for the mobile network into the handset. We did not observe any reception limitations in a major city in practice. We always had a strong LTE signal.

Huawei has allegedly also improved the Wi-Fi module. All up-to-date protocols are supported with the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac standards, and thus both the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz network. Furthermore, the MIMO antenna technology has moved into the P10. Unfortunately, the test does not reflect this. Transmission speeds of over 300 MBit/s should easily be possible with these specifications. However, the P10 remains behind the expectations. Some smartphones that only support 2.4 GHz receive data faster. Huawei's P10 does not make a good impression even in the more frequented network in the test with our Linksys EA8500 reference router, and it only achieves mediocre rates here (2.4 GHz: receive @ 42 MBit/s, transmit @ 45.7 MBit/s). The signal attenuation of -42 dBm is, however, on a good level. This changes at a greater distance to the router. The signal quality decreases noticeably five meters (~16 feet) away from the router (-61 dBm, one interior wall), and video streaming becomes impossible at approximately 12 meters (-81 dBm, ~39 feet), and playback no longer runs smoothly.

Update 05/13/2017: Another test model confirms the low transfer rates of the Wi-Fi module; higher results are just not possible. We assume that the advertised MIMO antenna technology is not available for the P10, especially since the note is not available anymore, neither on the spec sheet, nor on the official website. We therefore reduced the sub-rating in the connectivity section.

Update 11/7/2017: Huawei has also boosted the Wi-Fi connection speed considerably with the firmware update to version B133, and browsing in the network is now fast. Although it still cannot compete with the rivals that have MIMO technology, the rates are great for an AC Wi-Fi module. The previous rates are still shown in the comparison chart.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Apple iPhone 7
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 128 GB NVMe (Klaus I211)
485 MBit/s +41%
Huawei P10
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
343 (154min) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy S7
Mali-T880 MP12, Exynos 8890, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
335 MBit/s -2%
Huawei P9
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 955, 32 GB eMMC Flash
185 MBit/s -46%
iperf3 receive AX12
Apple iPhone 7
A10 Fusion GPU, A10 Fusion, 128 GB NVMe (Klaus I211)
532 MBit/s +73%
Huawei P10
Mali-G71 MP8, Kirin 960, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
308 (48.8min) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy S7
Mali-T880 MP12, Exynos 8890, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
281 MBit/s -9%
Huawei P9
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 955, 32 GB eMMC Flash
279 MBit/s -9%
GPS Test: indoors
GPS Test: indoors
GPS Test: outdoors
GPS Test: outdoors

Huawei's P10 uses GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo for localization. The smartphone found our position quickly and accurately even indoors, and it was even a bit faster outdoors.

To evaluate the accuracy better, we take the P10 on a short bike trip where it has to face a comparison with Garmin's Edge 500. Although the smartphone does not trace the route as accurately as the bike computer, it still presents good results. The reason for this is the occasionally too long time difference between logging the positions, although it is relatively short in some places, such as where we crossed the bridge.

Huawei P10
Huawei P10
Huawei P10
Huawei P10
Huawei P10
Huawei P10
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500

Telephone and Call Quality

The call quality of Huawei's P10 is on a good level, but it is not as convincing as the Mate 9 in our opinion. We are well-intelligible when the smartphone is held to the ear and our contact also confirms a good call quality. Both microphones prove to be even more wind sensitive than the P9, but they cannot be criticized otherwise. It is not possible to set directional microphones in hands-free mode and several noise sources caused interruptions.

Cameras

Front camera photo
Front camera photo

A camera co-engineered with Leica is installed on the front of Huawei's P10. It offers 8 MP and a nominal aperture of f/1.9. Unlike the Mate 9, it does not have autofocus but only fix focus. In return, a new portrait mode that has an additional artist filter that places vignetting around the photographed person and a five-level beauty mode are installed. The lens also detects when several people are standing in front of the smartphone and adapts the photo section accordingly. The photo quality is decent and is absolutely sufficient for social media. However, some degree of blurriness is visible in full size when the focus was not set properly. Videos can be recorded in Full HD. The manufacturer provides an electronic image stabilizer and beauty mode for this.

The primary cameras on the rear of Huawei's P10 are technically identical with those in Huawei's Mate 9. The Leica dual-camera (Summarit-H 1:2.2/27mm ASPH) has a 12 MP RGB camera and a 20 MP monochrome lens. The black-white sensor is to capture more image data in low light conditions and can then combine them to one picture with the RGB lens. Of course, it is possible to shoot pure black/white photos. The second sensor additionally collects data for portrait mode so that a soft bokeh can be placed around the photographed object or person. Huawei states that it has improved the software. The reworked portrait mode that covers the use of the front camera belongs to these. However, the higher-quality lenses and sensor deliver a considerably better outcome. We liked the produced bokeh, and it no longer looks like a simple vignetting filter around the object.

The photos of the Leica dual-camera in the P10 are really good and convince with a good sharpness and high dynamic range in daylight. The camera's shutter speed is very fast for landscape and still life photos, but good timing is essential when fast-moving objects are photographed as the focus needs a bit longer.

Huawei provides the user with several modes for different situations. Unfortunately, the HDR mode still has to be set manually in the P10. The food mode saturates colors too strongly. The manual mode has not been reworked and offers quick access on all important settings, such as shutter speed (1/4000 - 30 sec), light sensitivity (ISO 50-3200), and a manual white balance (2800-7000K). Raw-data photos (DNG) can also be saved, but not directly on an optional micro-SD card. The P10 also features the new hybrid zoom that functions just as well as in the Mate 9. However, expanding the digital zoom up to times 10 (see screenshot) does not make much sense in our opinion as a very steady hand is required and the autofocus point has to be set well manually for achieving a feasible outcome.

The P10 still produces relatively good photos in low ambient light, but rivals like the Galaxy S7 or Pixel XL are much better here. The comparatively small aperture (f/2.2) and relatively tiny pixels (1.25 µm) are noticed unfavorably. Nevertheless, the P10's low-light performance is decent and it captures more from the present residual light than other smartphones.

Huawei's P10 records videos in a maximum of Ultra HD (4K, 3840x2160 pixels, 30 FPS). However, the user cannot use any of the features, such as image stabilizer or focus tracking. These functions are also only available in the 30 FPS version in Full HD. It is naturally possible to record at 60 frames per second, but like in the P9, the low-light videos are much darker than with the 30 FPS option. The image quality is good, but the colors in the video were a bit too saturated for our taste. Especially, light brown tones have a slight reddish tint and the camera tends to overexpose bright surfaces in high-contrast scenes.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
orginal image
click to load images
Food mode saturates colors too strongly
The robin can hardly be recognized with the x10 zoom
Ship: without zoom
Ship: x2 zoom
Ship: x10 zoom
ColorChecker Passport: Target colors are displayed in the lower half of each patch.
ColorChecker Passport: Target colors are displayed in the lower half of each patch.

We analyzed Leica's dual-camera in Huawei's P10 under defined light conditions. We first photographed X-Rite's ColorChecker Passport to examine the color accuracy. We did not edit the photo afterward or use filters for this. The colors are very saturated already in standard mode and the white balance is relatively warm. Light skin tones have a minor reddish tint that is not prominent enough to be annoying. Black looks rich and ensures good contrasts.

We photographed our test chart under identical conditions. The P10 delivers the best sharpness in the image center in monochrome mode and all details of the test chart are maintained. However, the RGB sensor fails with fine hues but still presents a good photo performance. The fonts on the color gradient are also captured clearly. The sharpness decreases toward the photo's edges at a normal degree.

The P10 can also create 20 MP color photos with additional data from the monochrome sensor. However, we would not recommend this as the additional pixels do not have a positive effect on the details in the photo. The opposite, unfortunately, is the case and many fine outlines are lost. It looks similar in the "soft colors" and "vivid colors" modes, which increase the photo's contrast and saturation and which look really good on the screen. But when zoomed to maximum, it becomes visible that fine outlines simply disappear and, in the case of the stronger filter, they even become a bit blurred. This will not make a difference for social networking, but users who want a hard copy or even create a photo album with photos from the P10 should not use the "vivid colors" mode.

We also examined the hybrid zoom of Huawei's P10 and were pleasantly surprised. The x2 zoom delivers really good photo results. Even fine details are captured well, and they are even more visible than in photos without zoom thanks to the strong field of depth. Minor losses have to be accepted on rounded objects that exhibit minor edges in maximum zoom due to the sharpness. Outlines fray increasingly and details are lost in large-scale zooms. Although it is not possible to shoot really appealing photos with it, the photo results are relatively good for such a strong digital zoom.

20 MP (monochrome)
20 MP (monochrome)
20 MP (standard)
20 MP (standard)
12 MP (RGB, standard)
12 MP (RGB, standard)
12 MP (soft colors)
12 MP (soft colors)
12 MP (vivid colors)
12 MP (vivid colors)
12 MP (x2 zoom)
12 MP (x2 zoom)
12 MP (x5.5 zoom)
12 MP (x5.5 zoom)
12 MP (x10 zoom)
12 MP (x10 zoom)
12 MP (RGB, standard)
12 MP (RGB, standard)
20 MP (monochrome)
20 MP (standard)
12 MP (soft colors)
12 MP (vivid colors)
12 MP (x2 zoom)
12 MP (x5.5 zoom)
12 MP (x10 zoom)

Accessories and Warranty

Huawei's P10 smartphone comes with a transparent plastic bumper, a power supply with a maximum nominal output of 22.5 watts (5.0 volts, 2.0 amperes; 4.5 volts, 5 amperes; 5.0 volts, 4.5 amperes), a USB cable (Type-C to Type-A), a SIM tool, a headset, and quick-start guide. The manufacturer optionally offers diverse flip cases.

A 24-month warranty period is included. It can be extended to 36 months via free registration in the HiCare app. VIP members receive a warranty on the screen and a product replacement warranty for the first three months in both cases.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Handling

The capacitive touchscreen of Huawei's P10 has a very gliding-friendly surface that responds very accurately everywhere. It supports up to 10 simultaneous inputs. A notable change compared to Huawei's P9 is that the fingerprint scanner is now on the casing's front and not on its rear. This is too bad as the extended functionality of the rear-sided scanner, such as scrolling through the gallery or displaying the notification center, facilitated one-handed use.

However, the new fingerprint scanner also has advantages and can be used instead of the onscreen buttons. Huawei uses the same gesture control here as in the company's MediaPad M3 or Lenovo's ZUK Z2. The user is brought back to the home screen when pressing the touch surface for a prolonged time; short tapping replaces the back button. Horizontal swiping opens the task manager, but this did not always function reliably in the test when we used our thumb. We had to occasionally repeat this gesture then. The fingerprint scanner functions reliably and unlocks the handset quickly. Knuckle Touch is installed again but has not been developed any further compared with the P9.

The physical keys have a crisp pressure point and make an overall very high-quality and reliable impression. Like in the Mate 9, SwiftKey's keyboard layout is preloaded. Another keyboard can be downloaded from Google's Play Store when preferred.

Display

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

The size of the LTPS panel in Huawei's P10 has been reduced a bit compared with the predecessor, and it now has a diagonal of 5.1-inches. Its resolution of 1920x1080 pixels leads to a pixel density of approximately 432 PPI. Thus, content is razor-sharp.

Huawei has managed to increase the screen's brightness a bit, and it now achieves up to 604 cd/m². The P9 delivers about 20 cd/m² less, but its illumination and average brightness are better. Particularly, the brightness distribution of the P10 could be more homogeneous even if this minor shortcoming is not seen in everyday use. What we did notice, though, is the visibly lower contrast. The measurements confirm our impression; the comparatively high black value leads to a visibly lower contrast than in the predecessors. The direct comparison even shows that it get worse from one generation to the next, which is due to the simultaneous increase in brightness. When we rerun the tests with equally distributed bright and dark areas on the screen (APL50), both the brightness in the screen center (527 cd/m²) and the black value (0.45 cd/m²) become slightly worse and correspond to a brightness of 1171:1. The P10 achieves up to 555 cd/m² when the ambient light sensor is enabled.

It has to be noted positively that Huawei does not use PWM in its P10. We did not observe clouding on our review sample, either. A blue light filter (anti-eyestrain) that has to be turned on and off manually is also installed.

602
cd/m²
553
cd/m²
523
cd/m²
604
cd/m²
547
cd/m²
519
cd/m²
589
cd/m²
550
cd/m²
521
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 604 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 556.4 cd/m² Minimum: 2.39 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 547 cd/m²
Contrast: 1272:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 4.5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.39
Huawei P10
LTPS, 1920x1080, 5.1"
Huawei P9
IPS-NEO, JDI, 1920x1080, 5.2"
Huawei P8
IPS-NEO, 1920x1080, 5.2"
Samsung Galaxy S7
SAMOLED, 2560x1440, 5.1"
Apple iPhone 7
IPS, 1334x750, 4.7"
Sony Xperia XZ
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.2"
HTC 10
Super LCD 5, 2560x1440, 5.2"
Screen
8%
3%
21%
31%
-8%
9%
Brightness middle
547
582
6%
453
-17%
350
-36%
556
2%
544
-1%
445
-19%
Brightness
556
563
1%
439
-21%
351
-37%
519
-7%
521
-6%
434
-22%
Brightness Distribution
86
91
6%
91
6%
98
14%
90
5%
93
8%
93
8%
Black Level *
0.43
0.38
12%
0.28
35%
0.34
21%
0.37
14%
0.36
16%
Contrast
1272
1532
20%
1618
27%
1635
29%
1470
16%
1236
-3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.8
4.4
8%
4.7
2%
2.04
57%
1.3
73%
5.8
-21%
2.8
42%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.8
7.4
16%
3.25
63%
2.6
70%
9.8
-11%
5.8
34%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.5
4.8
-7%
5.03
-12%
1.63
64%
1.9
58%
7.2
-60%
3.7
18%
Gamma
2.39 92%
2.2 100%
2.27 97%
2.07 106%
2.26 97%
2.18 101%
2.31 95%
CCT
7194 90%
6175 105%
7439 87%
6391 102%
6818 95%
8619 75%
7164 91%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
77.78
72.04
86.86
63.15
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.44
99.35
99.71

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

We examined the color reproduction accuracy of the LTPS panel in Huawei's P10 with the photospectrometer and CalMAN analysis software. Not much has changed compared with the P9 and P8.

Content looks very cool on the screen in the standard setting. This leads to a bluish tint in the grayscale levels. This is enhanced even more when the color temperature is set to cool and leaves a very unnatural impression. The warm profile comes closer to an ideal reproduction, but it is still a bit too cool. The colors also have a visible deviation from the ideal and are quite saturated. Other high-end smartphones are considerably more accurate, and thus Huawei has quite some room for improvement here.

Like in the Mate 9, Huawei also relies on a calibration in the P3 color space standard for its P10.

Grayscale (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
Grayscale (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)
Grayscale (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)
ColorChecker (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
ColorChecker (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)
ColorChecker (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)
Saturation Sweeps (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)
Colorspace (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (white balance: Standard, target color space: sRGB)
Colorspace (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)
Colorspace (white balance: Warm, target color space: AdobeRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
16 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 5.2 ms rise
↘ 10.8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 34 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
39.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19.6 ms rise
↘ 20 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 57 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms).

Huawei's P10 makes a good impression outdoors and primarily convinces with its high brightness and fast responding ambient light sensor. The somewhat low contrast is not noticed unfavorably when compared with the P8. The opposite: The review sample remains well-legible even in the direct springtime sun.

The P10 can be used in the sun
The P10 can be used in the sun
For comparison (left to right): Huawei P9, P10 and P8.
For comparison (left to right): Huawei P9, P10 and P8.

The viewing angles of the LTPS panel that Huawei uses are beyond reproach. The colors of the image do not invert even from extremely flat viewing angles. A minor IPS glow effect becomes visible on dark surfaces starting at an angle of approximately 70 degrees.

Viewing-angle stability: Huawei P10
Viewing-angle stability: Huawei P10

Performance

Like in the Mate 9, a HiSilicon Kirin 960 SoC provides Huawei's P10 with plenty of computing power. The chip is built in the 16-nanometer process and has two CPU clusters with four cores each. While the performance cluster is based on strong ARM Cortex A73 cores that can clock at up to 2.4 GHz, Cortex A73 cores that clock at up to 1.8 GHz are used in the energy-efficient cluster. A decent 4 GB of LPDDR4 working memory and the high-performance ARM Mali-G71 MP8 support the SoC.

Huawei's P10 is on a very good level in the benchmarks. Only OnePlus' 3T and the iPhone 7 defeat it in the AnTuTu system benchmark. The review sample also presents very good scores in PCMark for Android. The P10 has the fastest CPU performance in the comparison field in the multi-core test of Geekbench 4. However, the P10 remains behind the expectations a bit in the 3DMark Physics tests, which could point to CPU throttling during load, which we will examine in the "Temperature" chapter.

The GPU's performance is also really good, but it cannot quite reach the performance of up-to-date premium GPUs, such as the Adreno 530. The performance difference is even more evident in more intricate graphics calculations with performance-driven interfaces, such as OpenGL ES 3.1. The Android rivals manage up to 33% more frames. Apple's A10 SoC leaves its rivals miles behind in these sections.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
140084 Points
Huawei P9
95743 Points -32%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
128749 Points -8%
Apple iPhone 7
142532 Points +2%
Lenovo Moto Z
129197 Points -8%
Sony Xperia XZ
129317 Points -8%
HTC 10
131866 Points -6%
Huawei Mate 9
124087 Points -11%
OnePlus 3T
159866 Points +14%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
1935 Points
Huawei P9
1755 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
1840 Points -5%
Apple iPhone 7
3490 Points +80%
Lenovo Moto Z
1480 Points -24%
Sony Xperia XZ
1647 Points -15%
Huawei Mate 9
1947 Points +1%
OnePlus 3T
1881 Points -3%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
6036 Points
Huawei P9
4904 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
5503 Points -9%
Apple iPhone 7
5585 Points -7%
Lenovo Moto Z
3946 Points -35%
Sony Xperia XZ
3701 Points -39%
Huawei Mate 9
5629 Points -7%
OnePlus 3T
4236 Points -30%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
27692 Points
Huawei P9
19854 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
28671 Points +4%
Apple iPhone 7
37676 Points +36%
Lenovo Moto Z
25135 Points -9%
Sony Xperia XZ
28603 Points +3%
HTC 10
27176 Points -2%
Huawei Mate 9
27364 Points -1%
OnePlus 3T
30810 Points +11%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
35964 Points
Huawei P9
21577 Points -40%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
33031 Points -8%
Apple iPhone 7
63974 Points +78%
Lenovo Moto Z
26659 Points -26%
Sony Xperia XZ
32056 Points -11%
HTC 10
30061 Points -16%
Huawei Mate 9
35626 Points -1%
OnePlus 3T
34494 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Huawei P10
15341 Points
Huawei P9
15517 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
19610 Points +28%
Apple iPhone 7
15450 Points +1%
Lenovo Moto Z
20948 Points +37%
Sony Xperia XZ
20772 Points +35%
HTC 10
20344 Points +33%
Huawei Mate 9
15104 Points -2%
OnePlus 3T
22426 Points +46%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Huawei P10
2649 Points
Huawei P9
1237 Points -53%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2710 (2421min) Points +2%
Apple iPhone 7
2964 Points +12%
Lenovo Moto Z
3023 Points +14%
Sony Xperia XZ
3275 Points +24%
HTC 10
3157 Points +19%
Huawei Mate 9
2367 Points -11%
OnePlus 3T
2577 Points -3%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei P10
2816 Points
Huawei P9
1080 Points -62%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
3015 (2895min) Points +7%
Apple iPhone 7
4057 Points +44%
Lenovo Moto Z
3718 Points +32%
Sony Xperia XZ
4522 Points +61%
HTC 10
4581 Points +63%
Huawei Mate 9
2448 Points -13%
OnePlus 3T
3310 Points +18%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Huawei P10
2193 Points
Huawei P9
2510 Points +14%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2002 (1539min) Points -9%
Apple iPhone 7
1525 Points -30%
Lenovo Moto Z
1828 Points -17%
Sony Xperia XZ
1667 Points -24%
HTC 10
1512 Points -31%
Huawei Mate 9
2123 Points -3%
OnePlus 3T
1452 Points -34%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Huawei P10
2274 Points
Huawei P9
974 Points -57%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2204 (1923min) Points -3%
Lenovo Moto Z
2190 Points -4%
Sony Xperia XZ
2548 Points +12%
HTC 10
2495 Points +10%
Huawei Mate 9
2240 Points -1%
OnePlus 3T
2221 Points -2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei P10
2409 Points
Huawei P9
829 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2229 (2043min) Points -7%
Lenovo Moto Z
2336 Points -3%
Sony Xperia XZ
2853 Points +18%
HTC 10
2889 Points +20%
Huawei Mate 9
2294 Points -5%
OnePlus 3T
2418 Points 0%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Huawei P10
1902 Points
Huawei P9
2503 Points +32%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2121 (1594min) Points +12%
Lenovo Moto Z
1797 Points -6%
Sony Xperia XZ
1667 Points -12%
HTC 10
1688 Points -11%
Huawei Mate 9
2117 Points +11%
OnePlus 3T
1728 Points -9%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P10
55 fps
Huawei P9
43 fps -22%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
51 fps -7%
Apple iPhone 7
57.7 fps +5%
Lenovo Moto Z
53 fps -4%
Sony Xperia XZ
88 fps +60%
HTC 10
43 fps -22%
Huawei Mate 9
60 fps +9%
OnePlus 3T
59 fps +7%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P10
69 fps
Huawei P9
40 fps -42%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
81 fps +17%
Apple iPhone 7
110.3 fps +60%
Lenovo Moto Z
77 fps +12%
Sony Xperia XZ
88 fps +28%
HTC 10
73 fps +6%
Huawei Mate 9
80 fps +16%
OnePlus 3T
91 fps +32%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Huawei P10
32 fps
Huawei P9
19 fps -41%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
27 fps -16%
Apple iPhone 7
58.5 fps +83%
Lenovo Moto Z
26 fps -19%
Sony Xperia XZ
39 fps +22%
HTC 10
24 fps -25%
Huawei Mate 9
37 fps +16%
OnePlus 3T
45 fps +41%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P10
30 fps
Huawei P9
18 fps -40%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
38 fps +27%
Apple iPhone 7
60.7 fps +102%
Lenovo Moto Z
41 fps +37%
Sony Xperia XZ
40 fps +33%
HTC 10
39 fps +30%
Huawei Mate 9
34 fps +13%
OnePlus 3T
46 fps +53%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P10
25 fps
Huawei P9
11 fps -56%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
15 fps -40%
Apple iPhone 7
59.4 fps +138%
Lenovo Moto Z
15 fps -40%
Sony Xperia XZ
31 fps +24%
HTC 10
14 fps -44%
Huawei Mate 9
28 fps +12%
OnePlus 3T
32 fps +28%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P10
24 fps
Huawei P9
10 fps -58%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
28 fps +17%
Apple iPhone 7
42.2 fps +76%
Lenovo Moto Z
27 fps +13%
Sony Xperia XZ
31 fps +29%
HTC 10
24 fps 0%
Huawei Mate 9
24 fps 0%
OnePlus 3T
32 fps +33%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
7341 Points
Huawei P9
7058 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
4660 Points -37%
Lenovo Moto Z
7637 Points +4%
Sony Xperia XZ
5058 Points -31%
HTC 10
5809 Points -21%
Huawei Mate 9
7403 Points +1%
OnePlus 3T
5664 Points -23%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
6206 Points
Huawei P9
5226 Points -16%
Sony Xperia XZ
5616 Points -10%
HTC 10
4549 Points -27%
Huawei Mate 9
6299 Points +1%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Huawei P10
2621 Points
Huawei P9
2025 Points -23%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2074 Points -21%
Apple iPhone 7
2999 Points +14%
Lenovo Moto Z
2356 Points -10%
Sony Xperia XZ
2165 Points -17%
HTC 10
2193 Points -16%
Huawei Mate 9
2772 Points +6%
OnePlus 3T
2218 Points -15%
System (sort by value)
Huawei P10
3830 Points
Huawei P9
3930 Points +3%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
4080 Points +7%
Apple iPhone 7
6097 Points +59%
Lenovo Moto Z
3398 Points -11%
Sony Xperia XZ
3047 Points -20%
HTC 10
2806 Points -27%
Huawei Mate 9
3616 Points -6%
OnePlus 3T
3130 Points -18%
Memory (sort by value)
Huawei P10
2778 Points
Huawei P9
2627 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2072 Points -25%
Apple iPhone 7
1257 Points -55%
Lenovo Moto Z
2190 Points -21%
Sony Xperia XZ
1434 Points -48%
HTC 10
1772 Points -36%
Huawei Mate 9
3850 Points +39%
OnePlus 3T
1954 Points -30%
Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei P10
4115 Points
Huawei P9
1583 Points -62%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2203 Points -46%
Apple iPhone 7
6896 Points +68%
Lenovo Moto Z
4321 Points +5%
Sony Xperia XZ
4716 Points +15%
HTC 10
5009 Points +22%
Huawei Mate 9
3939 Points -4%
OnePlus 3T
4444 Points +8%
Web (sort by value)
Huawei P10
1077 Points
Huawei P9
1029 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
994 Points -8%
Apple iPhone 7
1531 Points +42%
Lenovo Moto Z
959 Points -11%
Sony Xperia XZ
1066 Points -1%
HTC 10
928 Points -14%
Huawei Mate 9
1076 Points 0%
OnePlus 3T
891 Points -17%
Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value)
Huawei P10
23.56 fps
Huawei P9
7.9 fps -66%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
13.31 fps -44%
Lenovo Moto Z
24.33 fps +3%
Huawei Mate 9
19.14 fps -19%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
664 Points
Huawei P9
328 Points -51%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
733 Points +10%
Apple iPhone 7
1322 Points +99%
Apple iPhone 7
1059 Points +59%
Lenovo Moto Z
542 Points -18%
HTC 10
608 Points -8%
Huawei Mate 9
699 Points +5%
Epic Citadel - Ultra High Quality (sort by value)
Huawei P10
60.5 fps
Huawei P9
58.6 fps -3%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
60 fps -1%
Lenovo Moto Z
59.8 fps -1%
Huawei Mate 9
60.5 fps 0%

Legend

 
Huawei P10 HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
Huawei P9 HiSilicon Kirin 955, ARM Mali-T880 MP4, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge Samsung Exynos 8890 Octa, ARM Mali-T880 MP12, 32 GB UFS 2.0 Flash
 
Apple iPhone 7 Apple A10 Fusion, Apple A10 Fusion GPU / PowerVR, 128 GB NVMe
 
Lenovo Moto Z Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia XZ Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC 10 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei Mate 9 HiSilicon Kirin 960, ARM Mali-G71 MP8, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
 
OnePlus 3T Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 MSM8996 Pro, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash

We use the preloaded Google Chrome browser (version 56) for the browser benchmarks. Although Huawei's P10 delivers good results throughout the test, they are not top-rate. Seen purely subjectively, Internet browsing is smooth and fast.

WebXPRT 2015 - Overall (sort by value)
Huawei P10
136 Points
Huawei P9
128 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
163 Points +20%
Apple iPhone 7
202 Points +49%
Lenovo Moto Z
112 Points -18%
Sony Xperia XZ
90 Points -34%
HTC 10
108 Points -21%
Huawei Mate 9
152 Points +12%
OnePlus 3T
135 Points -1%
BaseMark OS II - Web (sort by value)
Huawei P10
1077 Points
Huawei P9
1029 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
994 Points -8%
Apple iPhone 7
1531 Points +42%
Lenovo Moto Z
959 Points -11%
Sony Xperia XZ
1066 Points -1%
HTC 10
928 Points -14%
Huawei Mate 9
1076 Points 0%
OnePlus 3T
891 Points -17%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
10236 Points
Huawei P9
11783 Points +15%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
13191 Points +29%
Apple iPhone 7
24875 Points +143%
Lenovo Moto Z
7771 Points -24%
Sony Xperia XZ
9069 Points -11%
HTC 10
8905 Points -13%
Huawei Mate 9
11897 Points +16%
OnePlus 3T
9798 Points -4%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Huawei P10
3129 ms *
Huawei P9
2923 ms * +7%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
2564 ms * +18%
Apple iPhone 7
1113 ms * +64%
Lenovo Moto Z
3155 ms * -1%
Sony Xperia XZ
2768 ms * +12%
HTC 10
3146 ms * -1%
Huawei Mate 9
2734 ms * +13%
OnePlus 3T
2719 ms * +13%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei P10
57.9 Points
Huawei P9
68.4 Points +18%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
75.1 Points +30%
Apple iPhone 7
165.9 Points +187%
Lenovo Moto Z
47.5 Points -18%
Sony Xperia XZ
54.2 Points -6%
HTC 10
52.1 Points -10%
Huawei Mate 9
68.6 Points +18%
OnePlus 3T
54.5 Points -6%
Vellamo 3.x - Browser (sort by value)
Huawei P10
7346 Points
Huawei P9
6580 (6523min) Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
7198 (6255min) Points -2%
Lenovo Moto Z
5344 Points -27%
Huawei Mate 9
7565 Points +3%

* ... smaller is better

The extremely fast UFS 2.1 storage in Huawei's P10 surpasses everything we have in our database and places itself at the top of the comparison field in all areas in terms of performance. Unfortunately, this cannot be said about the smartphone's micro-SD slot that presents a poor performance for a high-end product. It does not even come close to exhausting our Toshiba Exceria Pro M401 (read: 95 MB/s, write: 80 MB/s) reference card.

Approximately 50 GB of the internal memory's nominal 64 GB can be used after using the P10 for the first time.

Update 05/13/2017: The storage gate (we reported) created a lot of attention and although we were fortunate to get a smartphone equipped with UFS 2.1 storage, this is not the case for every user. You will mainly notice the difference to the eMMC storage when you install apps and the loading times of complex apps will be affected as well. We therefore reduce the rating for the storage performance.

Huawei P10Huawei P9Lenovo Moto ZSony Xperia XZHTC 10Samsung Galaxy S7LG G5ZTE Axon 7
AndroBench 3-5
-49%
-8%
-48%
-20%
-16%
-20%
-13%
Sequential Read 256KB
738
281.3
-62%
439.7
-40%
281
-62%
275.1
-63%
483.8
-34%
427.6
-42%
406.5
-45%
Sequential Write 256KB
189.8
72.2
-62%
168.3
-11%
138
-27%
115.6
-39%
145.7
-23%
141.3
-26%
150.9
-20%
Random Read 4KB
168.4
39
-77%
117.2
-30%
71.5
-58%
29.92
-82%
85.9
-49%
89.3
-47%
121.1
-28%
Random Write 4KB
152.3
47.45
-69%
74.9
-51%
10.5
-93%
15.89
-90%
16.01
-89%
16.22
-89%
16.22
-89%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
54.2
55
1%
78.5
45%
33.5
-38%
83.3
54%
72.3
33%
78.5
45%
78.4
45%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
32.19
24.83
-23%
45.64
42%
29.8
-7%
65.4
103%
53.6
67%
45.53
41%
51.3
59%

Games

The ARM Mali-G71 MP8 graphics unit inside Huawei's P10 presents a very good gaming performance and also supports modern graphics APIs, such as OpenGL ES 3.x and Vulkan 1.0. Unfortunately, we cannot provide any gaming frame rates as our test app did not load. However, we are optimistic that we can publish them soon.

Based on our experiences with this GPU in Huawei's Mate 9 and our practical impressions, we can confirm the P10's outstanding gaming qualities. Both more demanding games, such as Asphalt 8 and more basic games like Bubble Witch 3 Saga run smoothly, and they are launched quickly providing that the complete game is in the handset's internal storage.

The touchscreen and sensors function impeccably. Only the speaker on the lower edge is covered quickly in landscape mode.

Emissions

Temperature

The surfaces of Huawei's P10 get quite warm in some places just in idle. The area around the fingerprint scanner warms up palpably and reaches up to 35.6 °C. The rates remain below 30 °C on the rear. The temperatures climb to 40 °C over the entire surface and even up to 44.6 °C on the front. Although this is quite warm, it is absolutely uncritical.

We tested whether the Kirin 960 can cope with the inner temperatures with the GFXBench Battery test. We performed both the T-Rex test (OpenGL ES 2.0) and the demanding Manhattan test (OpenGL ES 3.1). The performance dropped quite soon in the first and reached its intermediate low point with a performance minus of 22%. A performance loss of even more than 35% was recorded in the Manhattan test.

Max. Load
 44.6 °C
112 F
43.1 °C
110 F
43 °C
109 F
 
 43.9 °C
111 F
43.1 °C
110 F
43.6 °C
110 F
 
 42.6 °C
109 F
41.6 °C
107 F
42.6 °C
109 F
 
Maximum: 44.6 °C = 112 F
Average: 43.1 °C = 110 F
37.3 °C
99 F
38.4 °C
101 F
40.9 °C
106 F
37.2 °C
99 F
39.6 °C
103 F
40.5 °C
105 F
37.8 °C
100 F
39.4 °C
103 F
40.7 °C
105 F
Maximum: 40.9 °C = 106 F
Average: 39.1 °C = 102 F
Power Supply (max.)  33.4 °C = 92 F | Room Temperature 21.3 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 43.1 °C / 110 F, compared to the average of 32.8 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 44.6 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.9 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 32.1 °C / 90 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

Pink Noise diagram
Pink Noise diagram

The mono speaker in Huawei's P10 provides a surprisingly good sound experience that convinced us particularly at medium volume. However, the sound becomes a bit too high at maximum volume since the lower trebles are emphasized a little too much. Particularly, the mids are relatively linear, which is a good performance for a speaker of this size.

The included headphones do not stream a pleasant sound particularly at high volumes, and they distort audibly in the high tone range. It is not possible to enjoy music with them. Subjectively, the audio jack delivers a low-noise and clear signal that can be quite pleasing with better headphones.

We also examined audio streaming via Bluetooth. Huawei unfortunately does not install a hi-res solution, such as aptX, but it only uses the standard protocol that makes an audible difference when streaming music. However, the stability and range of the connection are very good.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.639.92525.439.83125.339.74032.934.75033.634.76331.632.78028.427.81002726.412520.828.61602241.520021.350.525020.855.931521.260.340019.46550019.568.663017.766.880017.964.4100017.866.9125017.371.5160017.473.5200016.774.5250017.273.7315018.272.2400017.970.5500017.670.7630017.764.8800017.860.41000017.9591250018.148.41600018.232.8SPL3082.7N1.352.3median 17.9median 64.8Delta1.410.529.635.529.628.529.528.526.328.226.329.631.529.627.927.427.925.125.725.124.729.424.733.831.333.843.732.143.742.620.442.64620.84647.920.247.950.419.750.451.922.351.960.820.160.866.318.966.367.517.767.567.116.767.166.91766.97014.87072.915.972.965.914.665.971.514.471.574.714.174.774.813.874.873.413.773.472.613.872.662.313.762.355.213.755.255.113.655.183.128.683.154.11.254.1median 65.9median 16.7median 65.910.53.610.540.632.932.440.641.629.831.341.634.532.131.734.538.140.92638.134.437.839.434.425.627.836.225.629.727.928.629.733.127.525.433.134.924.821.334.941.320.623.341.34526.122.54552.531.322.452.557.837.821.357.859.639.918.459.663.445.417.563.469.950.817.569.971.553.117.271.572.255.216.872.274.757.817.374.774.957.717.474.977.959.416.677.980.361.817.380.380.760.817.680.776.154.717.676.175.954.617.775.979.760.517.479.773.354.317.773.367.849.717.967.866.847.718.166.858.133.518.158.188.769.729.888.773.823.11.373.8median 71.5median 50.8median 17.7median 71.58.911.81.78.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHuawei P10Apple iPhone 7Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge
Huawei P10 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 20.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 49% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPhone 7 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.9% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.9% 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 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 53% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 31% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 60% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 51% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 41% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The power consumption of Huawei's P10 is the first sobering aspect. While the standby consumption is absolutely acceptable, the smartphone guzzles quite a lot of power in idle when the screen's brightness is set to maximum - and its high brightness is probably also the reason for this. Compared with its predecessor, the power consumption has improved. However, almost all rivals consume less power when in use. This is continued in load scenarios as the high-performance SoC draws on the battery strongly. We even measured a maximum rate of 10.88 watts.

The included power supply supports Huawei's proprietary quick-charge technology SuperCharge and has a pleasingly low power consumption of just 0.003 watts when it is simply left plugged into the outlet. According to the manufacturer, the P10 should be fully recharged within 90 minutes. Unfortunately, we cannot confirm this. The battery state climbed to 25% in 15 minutes, 47% was reached after half-an-hour, and 80% was displayed after 57 minutes. A further 53 minutes was needed for the last 20%, which adds up to a total of 110 minutes. Lengthy charging times will have to be counted with when chargers by other manufacturers are used for recharging the P10 smartphone.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.06 / 0.19 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.83 / 2.1 / 2.18 Watt
Load midlight 6.57 / 9.32 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Huawei P10
3200 mAh
Huawei P9
3000 mAh
HTC 10
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S7
3000 mAh
Apple iPhone 7
1960 mAh
Lenovo ZUK Z2
3500 mAh
Xiaomi Mi 5s
3200 mAh
Power Consumption
16%
8%
34%
36%
-1%
20%
Idle Minimum *
0.83
0.77
7%
0.68
18%
0.68
18%
0.54
35%
1.31
-58%
0.4
52%
Idle Average *
2.1
2.36
-12%
1.49
29%
1.02
51%
1.51
28%
2.03
3%
1.7
19%
Idle Maximum *
2.18
2.37
-9%
1.91
12%
1.14
48%
1.54
29%
2.08
5%
1.81
17%
Load Average *
6.57
3.09
53%
7.4
-13%
4.73
28%
3.75
43%
5.45
17%
5.84
11%
Load Maximum *
9.32
5.35
43%
9.71
-4%
7.16
23%
5.01
46%
6.75
28%
9.12
2%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

The now larger 3200 mAh battery in Huawei's P10 should also benefit from the better than its predecessor's power consumption.

Huawei's P10 does a particularly good job primarily in the Wi-Fi test that is performed using a screen brightness of 150 cd/m², and it achieves a superb runtime of over 16 hours. The video test that is performed using the same conditions also runs for almost 10 hours. However, it is likely shorter due to the higher load on the SoC. It should be possible to increase the service time by using the various energy-saving modes, and a day of intense use should easily be possible even without them. That is, unless it is used for excessive gaming. The P10 will then have to be plugged into an outlet again in a comparatively short time.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
25h 40min
WiFi Websurfing
16h 06min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
9h 42min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 56min
Huawei P10
3200 mAh
Huawei P9
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S7
3000 mAh
Apple iPhone 7
1960 mAh
HTC 10
3000 mAh
Lenovo ZUK Z2
3500 mAh
Lenovo Moto Z
2600 mAh
Battery Runtime
-7%
14%
-9%
-12%
-43%
9%
Reader / Idle
1540
1514
-2%
1810
18%
1770
15%
1273
-17%
1371
-11%
H.264
582
568
-2%
892
53%
722
24%
648
11%
724
24%
WiFi v1.3
966
569
-41%
456
-53%
517
-46%
413
-57%
546
-43%
407
-58%
Load
176
206
17%
242
38%
126
-28%
203
15%
320
82%

Pros

+ classy design and high-quality materials
+ lightning-fast SoC
+ generous UFS 2.1 storage
+ fast LTE Cat. 12 with broad frequency coverage
+ good camera with hybrid zoom
+ decent battery life
+ expandable storage
+ decent speaker
+ up to three-year warranty
+ SuperCharge
+ good screen that...

Cons

- ...unfortunately has a resolution of just 1080p
- worse screen-body ratio
- inflated firmware
- slow ac Wi-Fi
- sluggish micro-SD slot
- no MHL or SlimPort
- throttling during load

Verdict

In review: Huawei P10 (VTR-L09). Review sample courtesy of Huawei.
In review: Huawei P10 (VTR-L09). Review sample courtesy of Huawei.

Huawei again presents a superb product that does not need to accept much criticism with its P10 lifestyle smartphone. The actual high-end product in the lineup is the P10 Plus edition. However, the smaller model also offers some first-rate features, such as the UFS 2.1 storage, LTE Cat.12, and the lightning-fast Kirin 960 SoC that the competition only offers in considerably more expensive products.

We also again liked Leica's dual-camera. Although it has room for improvement technically, it shoots superb photos with a very unique flair. The integrated portrait mode is also very good and allows an appealing play with the depth of field. The battery life has also been improved.

Huawei's P10 is a very successful further development that convinces with a good camera and improved battery life.

However, considering that Huawei's P10 is a premium-range product, a few technical shortcomings are found. The comparatively weak Wi-Fi module, the slow micro-SD slot, and that only a Full HD panel is available, are not appropriate for the price regions that the P10 enters. Sony can boast with an Ultra HD screen and HDR this year, and LG's G6 will also receive an HDR-capable panel. Huawei will have to upgrade in future products here.

Huawei can also score with service. The VIP service that extends the warranty to three years (among other things) is not only customer-friendly but also demonstrates that the company trusts its product. Huawei has again designed a superb smartphone that has many strengths, and which is a consistent further development of its predecessor.

Update 05/13/2017: Because of the problems with the Wi-Fi module and the storage lottery, we reduced the corresponding sub ratings. This results in the overall score dropping by 0.5 points. More information is available in the corresponding sections.

Update 11/7/2017: The Wi-Fi speed has been boosted considerably in line with the firmware B133 update that is distributed automatically.

Huawei P10 - 07/11/2017 v6 (old)
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
92%
Keyboard
71 / 75 → 94%
Pointing Device
96%
Connectivity
51 / 60 → 84%
Weight
93%
Battery
95%
Display
87%
Games Performance
58 / 63 → 92%
Application Performance
58 / 70 → 83%
Temperature
85%
Noise
100%
Audio
75 / 91 → 82%
Camera
78%
Average
80%
89%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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Daniel Schmidt, 2017-07-18 (Update: 2024-11- 4)