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Huawei P20 Lite Smartphone Review

Mid-range P20 The Huawei P20 Lite is overshadowed by its big brothers and its competition is also well positioned at this price-performance ratio. Our review shows that buyers of this mid-range smartphone receive a good device regardless.

Each year, Huawei updates its P series devices. The Chinese manufacturer has always offered a lower priced model with weaker hardware next to its high-performance devices. Following the popular smartphones P9 Lite and P10 Lite, the P20 Lite now joins the list of Huawei P models. Equipped with the HiSilicon Kirin 659, it still possesses an up-to-date eight-core SoC and as opposed to previous P Lite models, the P20 Lite now comes with a dual-camera. While it is not able to match the quality of the 40 MP triple-cam of the flagship model P20 Pro, its 16 MP cameras on the front and back of the device promise good snapshots.

At about 370 Euros (~$435), the P20 Lite faces a relatively large number of competition. Not only many mid-range smartphones, but also high-end devices from the last couple of years are available for the asking price. In order to make the comparison as meaningful as possible, we compare our test device to smartphones with similar performance. This includes the HTC U11 Life and Honor's 7X as well as Sony's Xperia XA2 and the Samsung Galaxy A5 from 2017. This list could easily be expanded, but has been kept short for the sake of clarity. In order to see how much of a performance increase owners of the predecessor can expect, we have also included the P10 Lite in the comparison.

Huawei P20 Lite (P20 Series)
Processor
HiSilicon Kirin 659 8 x 2.4 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
5.84 inch 18.7:9, 2280 x 1080 pixel 432 PPI, capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 51 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: microSD up to 256 GB (SIM slot 2), 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Compass, USB Type-C
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM, HSPA, 3G WCDMA: B1/B2/B5/B8, 4G FDD: B1/B3/B7/B8/B20, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.4 x 148.6 x 71.2 ( = 0.29 x 5.85 x 2.8 in)
Battery
3000 mAh Lithium-Polymer, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 30 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 17 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 471 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 454 h
Operating System
Android 8.0 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix Dual-camera 16 MP + 2 MP, f/2.2
Secondary Camera: 16 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: mono, Keyboard: virtual, Keyboard Light: yes, Charger, USB cable, SIM tool, Headset, Quick start guide, EMUI 8.0, 24 Months Warranty, SAR value(head): 0,74 W/kg, SAR value(body): 1,22 W/kg, fanless
Weight
145 g ( = 5.11 oz / 0.32 pounds), Power Supply: 20 g ( = 0.71 oz / 0.04 pounds)
Price
370 EUR
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - P20 Lite's design mimics the design of larger models

As opposed to the two larger P20 models, the P20 Lite does not have a button on the front side. The speaker on top of the front side is the only discontinuity in the otherwise even surface. Huawei uses the available space for the display, presenting users of the P20 Lite with an almost borderless design. The notch on the top contains the 16 MP selfie camera, a speaker and the light sensor. Around the edges, the material changes from glass to metal. While the transitions are rounded off, you can feel them distinctly. The gap is hereby very small and even, causing the device to still feel high-quality.

Volume control and the power button are to the right. All the buttons are held firmly in place and have a comfortable pressure point. Unlike the P20 Pro, the P20 Lite comes without colorful accents on the buttons. SIM and microSD card slots are to the left, blending in seamlessly with the case. The design of the P20 Lite is evidently inspired by that of the big flagship models. However the position of the fingerprint sensor is a fundamental difference. It is situated in the middle on the back. The flash and the dual-camera were placed to the left of it. The dual-camera protrudes about 1.5 mm (~0.06 in), following a trend that many of the currently available smartphones set.

Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite

Size Comparison

156.5 mm / 6.16 inch 75.3 mm / 2.96 inch 7.6 mm / 0.2992 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs149.1 mm / 5.87 inch 72.9 mm / 2.87 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs148.6 mm / 5.85 inch 71.2 mm / 2.8 inch 7.4 mm / 0.2913 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs146.1 mm / 5.75 inch 71.4 mm / 2.81 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 159 g0.3505 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 7.2 mm / 0.2835 inch 146 g0.3219 lbs142 mm / 5.59 inch 70 mm / 2.76 inch 9.7 mm / 0.3819 inch 171 g0.377 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features - Huawei P20 Lite with moderate features

The P20 Lite has the HiSilicon Kirin 659 at its disposal, a powerful mid-range SoC. In conjunction with the 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal flash memory, it provides a solid basic configuration for a smooth system. Even though the performance pales in comparison to that of the P20's and P20 Pro's Kirin 970, the P20 Lite is able to compete with other mid-range smartphones. Potential buyers can play games as well. While the integrated Mali-T830-MP2-GPU is not able to run the latest 3D Android titles on high settings, it has enough performance for games from 2016.

Another aspect in which it differs from top models is by no means a drawback. The P20 Lite has a 3.5 mm jack, allowing you to connect normal headsets and headphones without the hassle of an adapter. The USB Type-C port only supports the 2.0 standard, but it does support USB OTG, tethering, MTP, PTP and is, of course, used for charging purposes. The NFC contact area is above the fingerprint sensor on the back and Bluetooth 4.2 is also available.

Top: Microphone
Top: Microphone
Left: SD/SIM card slot
Left: SD/SIM card slot
Right: Power button, volume control
Right: Power button, volume control
Bottom: Audio jack, USB 2.0 Type-C, microphone, speaker
Bottom: Audio jack, USB 2.0 Type-C, microphone, speaker

Software - Huawei EMUI 8.0 plus Android Oreo

The P20 Lite comes with Android 8.0 and Huawei's EMUI interface (also version 8.0) ex-factory. The security patches are from May 1st 2018. Unlike the two high-end P20 models, the P20 Lite cannot be connected to an external monitor in desktop mode.

Huawei restrain themselves in terms of preinstalled apps, only providing a few third party programs, which can be uninstalled easily. An external SD card cannot be formatted into internal storage, but it can be used as the main directory for apps, pictures and videos. If the P20 Lite is used by multiple users, that can be set up in the settings menu.

Communication and GPS - P20 Lite's geolocation only with mediocre results

The P20 Lite offers various ways to connect with the outside world. The networking unit of the Huawei smartphone covers all the necessary bands to enable a good connection at an appropriate signal strength. LTE band 20, which is still important, is supported as well. If an SD card is not needed, a second SIM card can be used in its place enabling you to use the device with multiple carriers and mobile communications networks.

Since the smartphone supports the Wi-Fi ac standard, it also supports the fast 5 GHz band, but is only able to match the transfer rates of its predecessor P10 Lite. Competing devices such as the Sony Xperia XA2 reach far higher speeds. We did not notice any cell reception problems and the Wi-Fi range can be described normal as well. Additionally, the P20 is equipped with Bluetooth 4.2 and an NFC sensor.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Sony Xperia XA2
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
289 MBit/s +24%
HTC U11 Life
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
274 MBit/s +18%
Huawei P20 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 659, 64 GB eMMC Flash
233 MBit/s
Huawei P10 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 658, 32 GB eMMC Flash
232 MBit/s 0%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Mali-T830 MP3, Exynos 7880, 32 GB eMMC Flash
167 MBit/s -28%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +90%
Sony Xperia XA2
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
309 MBit/s +56%
Huawei P10 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 658, 32 GB eMMC Flash
229 MBit/s +16%
HTC U11 Life
Adreno 508, SD 630, 32 GB eMMC Flash
224 MBit/s +13%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Mali-T830 MP3, Exynos 7880, 32 GB eMMC Flash
214 MBit/s +8%
Huawei P20 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 659, 64 GB eMMC Flash
198 MBit/s
GPS-Test inside of a building
GPS-Test inside of a building
GPS-Test outdoors
GPS-Test outdoors

The Huawei P20 Lite very quickly establishes a usable satellite connection outdoors with the app "GPS-Test" and does not lose it when entering a building. It is even able to match its outdoors accuracy when next to a window. Speaking of the GPS, an accuracy of within 5 meters (~16 ft) is not terribly precise, but easily enough for simple navigation tasks.

We took the phone along on a bike ride on our test track and compare the GPS of the P20 Lite with our reference device Garmin Edge 500. The recorded route shows that the geolocation tolerance of 5 meters (~16 ft) is visible over the course of the track. On individual parts of the track, the measured location differs a considerable amount from the actual location, whereas these deviations can be seen continuously through turns and straight parts of the route. Thus, the P20 Lite is not suitable for applications where precise locating is needed.

Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite
Huawei P20 Lite

Telephony: Huawei smartphone shines with great call quality

The Huawei P20 Lite's telephony is solid. The conversation quality is pleasant. Hereby it does not matter whether the Huawei smartphone is held to your ear or used in hands-free mode. The Speaker reproduces speech very clearly and the volume is sufficiently high to drown out other noises. Calls can be made via VoLTE and VoWiFi, if supported by your carrier.

Cameras: Two are better than one, P20 Lite with 16 MP on either side

Indoor selfie with dampened daylight
Indoor selfie with dampened daylight

Huawei has installed two 16 MP cameras in the P20 Lite, one on the front for selfies and one on the back for pictures of your surroundings. The latter of the two additionally has a 2 MP sensor for depth information. Next to the dual-cam the characters "1:2.2/26 ASPH" describe the technical specifications of the camera. They are limited to a focal length of 26 mm and an aperture of f/2.2. The abbreviation "ASPH" describes the aspherical curvature of the lens, which is supposed to prevent image defects. Equipped with these features, the P20 Lite is able to take pictures with a maximum resolution of 4608x3456 pixels with an aspect ratio of 4:3. 1080p video recording is also possible.

Both the photo and the video settings can be adjusted through different options. Both modes allow you to use and reconfigure the volume control. Multiple filters and a professional mode barely leave anything to be desired. The professional video mode enables you to adjust the automatic color balance, matrix metering and exposure compensation. The corresponding mode for pictures allows you to manipulate shutter speed and ISO values and lets you save photos in RAW format.

But even without these settings, the camera of the Huawei smartphone produces good results. As usual, good lighting is crucial for the quality of the picture. Daylight facilitates good snapshots that only lack sharpness in detail. All in all the pictures are always slightly too bright and seem pale. However the transitions from bright to dark areas stay clearly defined. Bad lighting conditions make sharp pictures almost impossible to achieve. Transitions fade into each other and details are lost in a generic blur.

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
click to load images
ColorChecker: The bottom half of every box represents the reference color.
ColorChecker: The bottom half of every box represents the reference color.

The picture of our ColorChecker passport confirms our initial impression. Nearly all color fields are too bright, a small exception to this are dark gray tones. Under controlled lighting conditions, the picture of the test chart shows that the camera of the Huawei P20 Lite is able to produce detailed depictions all the way to the edges when the circumstances are ideal. Here, it is mainly the bottom corners that are reproduced too brightly, although details and fine lines stay clearly visible.

Accessories and Warranty - P20 Lite with Headset

Huawei P20 Lite scope of delivery
Huawei P20 Lite scope of delivery

In addition to a USB quick charger and a suitable USB Type-C-to-Type-A cable, Huawei includes a headset with 3.5 mm plug. With it, conversations can be held in an acceptable quality and on top of that, calls can be accepted with a button on the cable. Huawei does not offer any accessories specifically for the P20 Lite in their own shop, but various online retailers carry numerous accessories.

Huawei offers buyers of the P20 Lite 24 months warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling: Direct Inputs with the Huawei P20 Lite

Huawei uses a preinstalled Swype keyboard for virtual inputs. Here, the keyboard area is comfortably accessible in portrait mode. In landscape mode, people with short thumbs will already struggle to reach the middle keys. Various keyboard layouts are available in the settings menu though, which makes it possible to type with the hand that is holding the device. The standard Android keyboard can also be selected in the menu if desired.

The capacitive display of the P20 Lite is capable of recognizing multi-touch inputs and reacts reliably to inputs all the way to the edges. Single-handed use, gestures and voice control can be configured in the respective menu. Additionally, a fingerprint sensor resides on the back of the device. Once located, the device unlocks in less than a second. As an alternative, FaceID can be set up. Device localization and a fingerprint protected SafeSpace protect the device in case of theft.

Display - Huawei P20 Lite's screen sharp with good colors

The display with an aspect ratio of 18.7:9 is dominated by the notch at the top, the latter of which can be hidden through the menu. Although the IPS panel with its resolution of 2280x1080 pixels is not exceptional, it does have very vibrant colors and it depicts images with amazing sharpness. Aside from a mode for reducing eye strain where the color temperature can be changed with a slider, users can freely change the coloring of the display.

The brightness is high enough for the displayed content to be recognizable in bright sunlight. Even so, the measured values only indicate an average luminance. Similarly, the P20 Lite is competitive in its class; competing devices do not reach higher cd/m2 values either.

554
cd/m²
531
cd/m²
512
cd/m²
552
cd/m²
528
cd/m²
495
cd/m²
546
cd/m²
517
cd/m²
493
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 554 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 525.3 cd/m² Minimum: 2.65 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 528 cd/m²
Contrast: 1035:1 (Black: 0.51 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
97.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.22
Huawei P20 Lite
IPS, 2280x1080, 5.84
HTC U11 Life
SLCD, 1920x1080, 5.20
Huawei P10 Lite
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Super AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.20
Sony Xperia XA2
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Screen
8%
8%
37%
-3%
Brightness middle
528
545
3%
507
-4%
539
2%
513
-3%
Brightness
525
526
0%
509
-3%
542
3%
506
-4%
Brightness Distribution
89
87
-2%
95
7%
93
4%
93
4%
Black Level *
0.51
0.42
18%
0.36
29%
0.42
18%
Contrast
1035
1298
25%
1408
36%
1221
18%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.7
4.9
-4%
5.1
-9%
1.6
66%
5
-6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.9
8.5
4%
9
-1%
2.6
71%
11.4
-28%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.4
5.4
16%
6.1
5%
1.5
77%
7.8
-22%
Gamma
2.22 99%
2.31 95%
2.28 96%
2.28 96%
2.2 100%
CCT
7987 81%
7610 85%
8143 80%
6422 101%
7964 82%

* ... 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

As mentioned earlier, the Huawei P20 Lite's display has vibrant colors and sharp contours. Black tones look good, but the heightened black value causes dark multimedia content to appear slightly grayish. While this barely affects pictures or video, hiding the notch uncovers a noticeable difference between the black bars on the display and on the borders. Most competing devices achieve better results in this respect.

Our CalMAN measurements show the P20 Lite's increased blue portion when using the "Standard" color temperature setting. This can be somewhat compensated with the preconfigured profile "Color temperature: Warm". Both settings are significantly lacking red portion however, that stays low with both profiles.

Mixed colors (Color temperature: Standard)
Mixed colors (Color temperature: Standard)
Color space (Color temperature: Standard)
Color space (Color temperature: Standard)
Grayscales (Color temperature: Standard)
Grayscales (Color temperature: Standard)
Saturation (Color temperature: Standard)
Saturation (Color temperature: Standard)
Mixed colors (Color temperature: Warm)
Mixed colors (Color temperature: Warm)
Color space (Color temperature: Warm)
Color space (Color temperature: Warm)
Grayscales (Color temperature: Warm)
Grayscales (Color temperature: Warm)
Saturation (Color temperature: Warm)
Saturation (Color temperature: Warm)

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
ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9.2 ms rise
↘ 16.4 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 0 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 ms rise
↘ 26.8 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 0 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The Huawei P20 Lite is great for outdoor use. Reflections of objects can be easily pushed out of view by slightly changing the angle at which you are holding the phone, which makes screen contents visible even in direct sunlight. However, this might put strain on the eyes if done for a prolonged period of time and should be avoided.

The IPS panel of the P20 Lite has very stable viewing angles. Screen contents are clearly visible from almost all directions, provided reflections do not obstruct the view. We did not observe any shifts in brightness or color on our test device.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - P20 Lite offers moderate performance

Inside the Huawei P20 Lite, a HiSilicon-Kirin-659-SoC powers all applications. This mid-range SoC, which entered the market in March of 2017, has been used in numerous smartphones since. It has 8 cores that can run at up to 2.36Hz and aside from the LPDDR3 memory controller and the Cat.13 LTE modem also comes with an ARM Mali-T830 MP2 graphics unit. In conjunction with the 4 GBs of RAM it ensures that modern apps can be run and that the system runs smoothly. However, complex 3D applications such as graphically demanding games can push the SoC to its limits. Android gaming blockbusters from 2015 and 2016 should run smoothly though.

In our benchmark tests, the P20 Lite is able to convince with good system performance, but does not manage to outperform comparable competitors. Sony's Xperia XA2 and the HTC U11 are always ahead by a small margin. The two competitors that are equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon-630 SoC especially outperform the HiSilicon Kirin 659 in terms of graphics performance. Depending on the test, there is very little difference compared to its predecessor Huawei P10 Lite. While it performs up to 20 percent better in some benchmarks, the P20 Lite's results, for example, do not manage to exceed those of the P10 Lite in PCMark's Work-Performance-Score.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
68232 Points
HTC U11 Life
73617 Points +8%
Huawei P10 Lite
60438 Points -11%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
60603 Points -11%
Sony Xperia XA2
71552 Points +5%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (62810 - 68232, n=8)
65730 Points -4%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
88550 Points
Sony Xperia XA2
89228 Points +1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (81992 - 89639, n=6)
87019 Points -2%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
5704 Points
HTC U11 Life
5818 Points +2%
Huawei P10 Lite
5794 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5035 Points -12%
Sony Xperia XA2
5844 Points +2%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (5704 - 6252, n=7)
5956 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +165%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
4793 Points
HTC U11 Life
4835 Points +1%
Huawei P10 Lite
4464 Points -7%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
4060 Points -15%
Sony Xperia XA2
5006 Points +4%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (4615 - 4911, n=8)
4805 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +127%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
1445 Points
HTC U11 Life
1368 Points -5%
Huawei P10 Lite
1229 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1408 Points -3%
Sony Xperia XA2
1563 Points +8%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (1334 - 1480, n=8)
1418 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +295%
System (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
3109 Points
HTC U11 Life
3215 Points +3%
Huawei P10 Lite
2642 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
2593 Points -17%
Sony Xperia XA2
3256 Points +5%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (2899 - 3223, n=8)
3056 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +209%
Memory (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
1930 Points
HTC U11 Life
838 Points -57%
Huawei P10 Lite
1592 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1508 Points -22%
Sony Xperia XA2
1328 Points -31%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (1757 - 2011, n=8)
1910 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +223%
Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
848 Points
HTC U11 Life
1515 Points +79%
Huawei P10 Lite
829 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1528 Points +80%
Sony Xperia XA2
1500 Points +77%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (836 - 859, n=8)
848 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +1539%
Web (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
858 Points
HTC U11 Life
858 Points 0%
Huawei P10 Lite
654 Points -24%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
659 Points -23%
Sony Xperia XA2
921 Points +7%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (724 - 919, n=8)
819 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +73%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
935 Points
HTC U11 Life
877 Points -6%
Huawei P10 Lite
913 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
773 Points -17%
Sony Xperia XA2
865 Points -7%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (869 - 946, n=8)
919 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +441%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
3749 Points
HTC U11 Life
4193 Points +12%
Huawei P10 Lite
3460 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
4104 Points +9%
Sony Xperia XA2
4170 Points +11%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (3316 - 3805, n=8)
3608 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +261%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
3116 Points
HTC U11 Life
3956 Points +27%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3002 Points -4%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (2772 - 3148, n=8)
3045 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +240%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
12048 Points
HTC U11 Life
16859 Points +40%
Huawei P10 Lite
11135 Points -8%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13256 Points +10%
Sony Xperia XA2
16974 Points +41%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (10294 - 12278, n=8)
11543 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
11713 Points
HTC U11 Life
18469 Points +58%
Huawei P10 Lite
10603 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13314 Points +14%
Sony Xperia XA2
18534 Points +58%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (9936 - 11713, n=8)
11066 Points -6%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
13387 Points
HTC U11 Life
12919 Points -3%
Huawei P10 Lite
13510 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13057 Points -2%
Sony Xperia XA2
13112 Points -2%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (11780 - 14930, n=8)
13618 Points +2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
138 Points
HTC U11 Life
1336 Points +868%
Huawei P10 Lite
610 Points +342%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1155 Points +737%
Sony Xperia XA2
1334 Points +867%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (125 - 627, n=8)
347 Points +151%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +2471%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
109 Points
HTC U11 Life
1257 Points +1053%
Huawei P10 Lite
520 Points +377%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1053 Points +866%
Sony Xperia XA2
1251 Points +1048%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (99 - 532, n=8)
288 Points +164%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +3483%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
1760 Points
HTC U11 Life
1711 Points -3%
Huawei P10 Lite
1537 Points -13%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1752 Points 0%
Sony Xperia XA2
1737 Points -1%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (1586 - 1788, n=8)
1707 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +71%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
257 Points
HTC U11 Life
839 Points +226%
Huawei P10 Lite
396 Points +54%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
816 Points +218%
Sony Xperia XA2
811 Points +216%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (176 - 409, n=8)
308 Points +20%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +945%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
207 Points
HTC U11 Life
729 Points +252%
Huawei P10 Lite
326 Points +57%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
710 Points +243%
Sony Xperia XA2
709 Points +243%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (140 - 338, n=8)
251 Points +21%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +1192%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
1757 Points
HTC U11 Life
1779 Points +1%
Huawei P10 Lite
1592 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1713 Points -3%
Sony Xperia XA2
1631 Points -7%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (1527 - 1827, n=8)
1696 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +78%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
19 fps
HTC U11 Life
29 fps +53%
Huawei P10 Lite
18 fps -5%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
33 fps +74%
Sony Xperia XA2
31 fps +63%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (16 - 20, n=8)
18.4 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +340%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
19 fps
HTC U11 Life
30 fps +58%
Huawei P10 Lite
17 fps -11%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
34 fps +79%
Sony Xperia XA2
30 fps +58%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (16 - 20, n=8)
18.8 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +1179%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
8.9 fps
HTC U11 Life
14 fps +57%
Huawei P10 Lite
7.7 fps -13%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
15 fps +69%
Sony Xperia XA2
15 fps +69%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (6.7 - 8.9, n=8)
8.28 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +701%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
8.7 fps
HTC U11 Life
14 fps +61%
Huawei P10 Lite
7.2 fps -17%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
15 fps +72%
Sony Xperia XA2
14 fps +61%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (7.3 - 8.8, n=8)
8.31 fps -4%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +1485%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
5.6 fps
HTC U11 Life
9.8 fps +75%
Huawei P10 Lite
4.8 fps -14%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
9 fps +61%
Sony Xperia XA2
10 fps +79%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (4.5 - 5.6, n=8)
5.04 fps -10%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +975%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
5.2 fps
HTC U11 Life
9.7 fps +87%
Huawei P10 Lite
4.2 fps -19%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
9.1 fps +75%
Sony Xperia XA2
9.7 fps +87%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (3.2 - 5.4, n=8)
4.81 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +1765%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
3.3 fps
HTC U11 Life
5.4 fps +64%
Huawei P10 Lite
3 fps -9%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5.2 fps +58%
Sony Xperia XA2
6 fps +82%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (2.7 - 3.3, n=8)
2.96 fps -10%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +1200%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Huawei P20 Lite
3.1 fps
HTC U11 Life
5.5 fps +77%
Huawei P10 Lite
2.8 fps -10%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5.2 fps +68%
Sony Xperia XA2
5.5 fps +77%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (2.9 - 3.2, n=8)
3.06 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +1790%
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
258 Points
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659
147 Points
Average of class Smartphone (177 - 6114, n=61, last 2 years)
2145 Points

Legend

 
Huawei P20 Lite HiSilicon Kirin 659, ARM Mali-T830 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 7X HiSilicon Kirin 659, ARM Mali-T830 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC U11 Life Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P10 Lite HiSilicon Kirin 658, ARM Mali-T830 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 Samsung Exynos 7880, ARM Mali-T830 MP3, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia XA2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 630, Qualcomm Adreno 508, 32 GB eMMC Flash

The browser benchmark of the P20 Lite shows mixed results. Whereas the Huawei smartphone leaves its competitors behind in the Mozilla Kraken 1.1 benchmark, the device only sits in one of the last places in the remaining tests. Subjectively, browsing with the preinstalled Chrome 63 feels fast. Pages are displayed quickly and there are no loading times that can be attributed to something other than the internet connection.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +264%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
32.22 Points +38%
Huawei P10 Lite (Chrome 55.0.2883.91)
30.05 Points +28%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
28.99 Points +24%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (23.4 - 31.3, n=8)
28.1 Points +20%
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
27.37 Points +17%
Huawei P20 Lite (Chrome 63)
23.42 Points
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +696%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
5256 Points +25%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (4191 - 5471, n=8)
4947 Points +18%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
4893 Points +17%
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
4771 Points +14%
Huawei P10 Lite (Chrome 55.0.2883.91)
4589 Points +9%
Huawei P20 Lite
4191 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Huawei P20 Lite (Chrome 63)
10788 ms *
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
10236 ms * +5%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
9493 ms * +12%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (8684 - 10788, n=8)
9440 ms * +12%
Huawei P10 Lite (Chrome 55.0.2883.91)
8591 ms * +20%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
6442 ms * +40%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +85%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Sony Xperia XA2 (Chrome 65.0.3325.109)
106 Points +23%
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659 (86 - 120, n=8)
103.6 Points +20%
HTC U11 Life (Chrome 63)
100 Points +16%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
89 Points +3%
Huawei P20 Lite (Chrome 63)
86 Points
Huawei P10 Lite (Chrome 55.0.2883.91)
62 Points -28%

* ... smaller is better

Huawei equips the P20 Lite with 64 GB of internal flash memory. This is one of the faster memories we have tested, leaving behind the benchmark results of the other devices in the comparison. The microSD card reader also performs well with our reference memory card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 and sits slightly above the competition’s average.

Huawei P20 LiteHTC U11 LifeHuawei P10 LiteSamsung Galaxy A5 2017Sony Xperia XA2Average 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-18%
-26%
-44%
-23%
-12%
380%
Sequential Read 256KB
293.9
268
-9%
264.3
-10%
182
-38%
271.5
-8%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
-7%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
399%
Sequential Write 256KB
198.3
120
-39%
129.2
-35%
77.1
-61%
127.4
-36%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
-11%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
444%
Random Read 4KB
48.19
39.3
-18%
72.5
50%
22.41
-53%
43.07
-11%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
23%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
402%
Random Write 4KB
71.1
50.2
-29%
19.36
-73%
12.13
-83%
13.82
-81%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
-55%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
274%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
83.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
82.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-1%
53.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-36%
73.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-12%
86 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-7%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
69 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
59.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-13%
32.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-53%
56 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-19%
64.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-6%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-16%

Gaming - Just basic smartphone gaming

The P20 Lite's gaming performance mainly depends on the inbuilt ARM Mali-T830 MP2 graphics unit. It offers solid performance and is able to run complex 3D titles from 2015 and 2016 smoothly. To that effect, the Huawei smartphone demonstrates good performance in our test. The games we tested all ran smoothly and without stutter. The gyroscope and the accelerometer react well to movement, although their response could be a tad more direct. Touch inputs on the display work well and feel direct and smooth, even over a prolonged period of time.

Asphalt 8: Airborne
Asphalt 8: Airborne
Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2
 SettingsValue
 high30 fps
Asphalt 8: Airborne
 SettingsValue
 high29 fps
 very low29 fps

Emissions - P20 Lite gets lukewarm

Temperature

T-Rex
T-Rex
Manhattan
Manhattan

Surface temperatures of the Huawei P20 Lite stay moderate, even under load. At just under 37 °C (~99 °F) you will definitely be able to feel the rise in temperature, but the device does not get hot and can be held in hand at any time. The device reaches a similar temperature while charging. With the GFXBench battery test, we assess the P20 Lite's ability to perform under load. The results show that the performance is being maintained with just minimal dips. The more demanding Manhattan test paints a similar picture. The FPS only varies by about +/- 1 FPS per cycle.

Max. Load
 35.8 °C
96 F
36.2 °C
97 F
32 °C
90 F
 
 36.1 °C
97 F
36 °C
97 F
34.6 °C
94 F
 
 34.8 °C
95 F
35.7 °C
96 F
34.1 °C
93 F
 
Maximum: 36.2 °C = 97 F
Average: 35 °C = 95 F
31.7 °C
89 F
31.9 °C
89 F
35.6 °C
96 F
32.1 °C
90 F
32.4 °C
90 F
36.8 °C
98 F
32 °C
90 F
33.4 °C
92 F
36.3 °C
97 F
Maximum: 36.8 °C = 98 F
Average: 33.6 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  28.6 °C = 83 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.2 °C / 97 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 36.8 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Pink noise progression
Pink noise progression

The speakers of the P20 Lite reproduce speech very loudly and clearly. Media containing music sounds weak and lacks sound stage. Bass heavy audio playback in particular suffers from the missing depths. The included headphones are not an alternative here either, since they also completely ignore bass and sound quality has been optimized for speech. The available 3.5 mm jack allows for a large selection of external audio playback devices however, and firmly connects with the respective plugs.

In comparison with its class it should be noted that comparable competitors show a similarly unbalanced audio performance.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.2422532.941.83137.230.44031.736.65039.641.86328.331.48027.331.510026.934.212526.731.41602429.620020.938.325020.947.631519.546.640018.55450017.562.863017.559.480015.758.9100015.863125016.666.4160015.869.3200015.471.3250015.573.431501674.8400015.875.950001676.5630016.371.2800016.371.61000016.271.31250016.467.51600016.459.6SPL28.684.1N1.153.6median 16.4median 63Delta2.211.328.627.224.929.624.624.826.428.830.828.623.62020.222.219.920.717.625.119.142.319.142.917.449.716.95316.857.215.159.216.560.615.664.41567.615.568.715.373.215.775.715.575.315.575.515.47715.875.61674.415.873.516.17116.16717.357.427.985.6159.9median 16median 670.711.535.245.132.941.137.238.931.736.639.642.728.33427.33026.930.226.736.32441.720.946.520.950.619.551.718.557.517.556.917.556.615.760.915.870.316.675.715.878.515.479.615.581.21679.415.8781674.416.377.316.381.316.283.816.468.316.455.328.690.21.176median 16.4median 70.32.212.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseHuawei P20 LiteSony Xperia XA2HTC U11 Life
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Huawei P20 Lite audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 57% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Sony Xperia XA2 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (2.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 66% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

HTC U11 Life audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (90.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 9% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 57% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery life - P20 Lite with medium battery life

Energy Consumption

The Huawei P20 Lite is an economical device and, with the consumption we measured, sits about 10 percent above the average value of smartphones. Still, the phone performs worse than the comparable smartphones that it competes with. Hereby it does not matter whether the device is idling or under load, the values are consistently elevated. There is no big difference, of course, but one that should be noted regardless.

While the P20 Lite cannot be charged wirelessly, it does support Quick Charge. The 3.000 mAh battery is fully charged in just over an hour.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.26 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.98 / 2 / 2.11 Watt
Load midlight 3.9 / 5.62 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Huawei P20 Lite
3000 mAh
HTC U11 Life
2600 mAh
Huawei P10 Lite
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3000 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2
3300 mAh
Average HiSilicon Kirin 659
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
11%
18%
34%
27%
-34%
-6%
Idle Minimum *
0.98
0.63
36%
0.38
61%
0.64
35%
0.39
60%
1.265 ?(0.62 - 2.8, n=8)
-29%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
9%
Idle Average *
2
2.1
-5%
1.87
6%
1.36
32%
1.61
19%
2.96 ?(1.59 - 8.46, n=8)
-48%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
27%
Idle Maximum *
2.11
2.15
-2%
1.92
9%
1.4
34%
1.62
23%
3.1 ?(1.71 - 8.49, n=8)
-47%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
23%
Load Average *
3.9
3.34
14%
3.82
2%
2.53
35%
3.12
20%
5.05 ?(3.23 - 11.1, n=8)
-29%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-42%
Load Maximum *
5.62
4.83
14%
4.9
13%
3.63
35%
4.92
12%
6.7 ?(4.93 - 12.3, n=8)
-19%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-46%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The battery life of the P20 Lite is not outstanding. In Wi-Fi test, where we try to mirror a real world scenario with adjusted brightness, the smartphone lasts almost 10 hours. However, its competitors last far longer with the same or even less battery capacity. The top model P20 Pro painted a similar picture. We can only speculate as to the cause. Objectively, the P20 Lite still has good battery life and can be used for quite a long time without requiring a power source.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 30min
WiFi Websurfing (Chrome 63)
9h 42min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
7h 50min
Load (maximum brightness)
4h 07min
Huawei P20 Lite
3000 mAh
HTC U11 Life
2600 mAh
Huawei P10 Lite
3000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3000 mAh
Sony Xperia XA2
3300 mAh
Battery Runtime
65%
36%
116%
93%
Reader / Idle
750
1820
143%
1410
88%
2418
222%
2503
234%
H.264
470
798
70%
586
25%
984
109%
766
63%
WiFi v1.3
582
725
25%
665
14%
843
45%
886
52%
Load
247
303
23%
286
16%
467
89%
298
21%

Pros

+ 16+2 MP dual-camera
+ 16 MP front camera
+ fast internal storage
+ appealing design
+ nearly borderless display

Cons

- battery life unnecessarily short
- unbalanced speakers
- moderate benchmark results

Verdict - Huawei does not exhaust the capabilities of the P20 Lite's hardware

Review: Huawei P20 Lite. Test device provided by:
Review: Huawei P20 Lite. Test device provided by:

The Huawei P20 Lite presents itself as a solid mid-range smartphone in our Review, but it is not able to differentiate itself from its competition in terms of performance. The 16 MP dual-camera takes good pictures and the system as a whole runs smoothly, although this is something we are already used to from smartphones of other manufacturers. The design could be the only deciding factor for a purchase and although its nearly borderless display and the notch are not unique either, they are not found that often in this price range.

The Huawei P20 Lite is a smartphone for those without the need for complex 3D applications who are looking for a day-to-day device that has good performance and an appealing design.

Potential buyers can look forward to a smartphone with up-to-date Android and smooth system performance. The fast internal storage and the modern SoC facilitate a smooth experience. The graphics performance might be insufficient for smartphone gamers or users of complex 3D applications. However, this is a weakness which the P20 Lite shares with its predecessor. Considering the 3000 mAh capacity, the battery life is somewhat short as well but still sufficient for almost 10 hours of intensive usage of the device.

Huawei P20 Lite - 05/08/2018 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
71 / 75 → 94%
Pointing Device
91%
Connectivity
45 / 60 → 75%
Weight
93%
Battery
91%
Display
87%
Games Performance
18 / 63 → 29%
Application Performance
53 / 70 → 76%
Temperature
92%
Noise
100%
Audio
69 / 91 → 76%
Camera
65%
Average
74%
84%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Mike Wobker, 2018-05-15 (Update: 2019-03-11)