Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Huawei quickly climbed up the ranks to become one of the most popular smartphone brands globally. It was easy to see why, as the firm serves up great budget devices and cutting-edge flagship phones.
Unfortunately, the US trade ban against the company has resulted in the firm tumbling down the list in terms of popularity. This ban means all phones released in the last two years lack Google Play Services.
Are you still keen on Huawei’s phones, even if they don’t have Google support? We’ve got you covered with our list of the best Huawei phones. The pros and cons of Huawei devices
Robert Triggs / Android Authority
Every smartphone manufacturer has its strengths and weaknesses, and Huawei is undoubtedly known for doing well in some departments.
For starters, Huawei is one of the most popular smartphone makers among photography enthusiasts. They’ve been pushing standards in this industry for years. Their sensors have gotten bigger, and their tech more advanced. They surprise us with stunning camera systems every single time.
Furthermore, Huawei knows how to make a good-looking phone. Premium materials adorn the higher-end versions, but their budget devices are still looking very nice. Talking about budgets, while they make some stunning high-end devices, Huawei has plenty of experience in the mid-range and budget smartphone market. They have great offerings across the whole spectrum. More: Huawei’s fall, what we’ve lost, and what we’ve gained
Now, nothing is perfect, and neither is Huawei. They fall behind in some areas. We’re particularly not fond of EMUI and HarmonyOS. The UI can be convoluted and is mainly made for Asian markets. It’s a matter of preference, but we like cleaner interfaces that more closely emulate stock Android.
Of course, we can’t forget about the big elephant in the room: lack of official Google Apps support. This is still an issue unless you go with an older device. This means you won’t get Google services like Gmail, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store. At least not out of the box.
Huawei Mate 40 Pro
Ryan-Thomas Shaw / Android Authority
Some of Huawei’s top flagships right now are the Mate 40 phones, and they pack some impressive hardware for the most part. The Mate 40 Pro was the one to become much more popular outside of China. That means the 3.5mm-toting Mate 40 and the dual telephoto-packing Mate 40 Pro Plus nearly missed global markets.
Nevertheless, the Mate 40 Pro delivers a 90Hz OLED screen, a high-end Kirin 9000 SoC, and a 4,400mAh battery with 66W wired and 50W wireless charging. Huawei’s phones are known for their camera credentials, and the Mate 40 Pro doesn’t disappoint here. You’re looking at a 50MP RYYB primary camera, a 20MP ultrawide lens, and a 12MP 5X periscope camera. Meanwhile, a 13MP selfie snapper is available on the front.
Google support isn’t available here, but this is still the best Huawei flagship available in global markets right now.
Huawei Mate 40 Pro specs:
Display: 6.76-inch, 2,772 x 1,344
6.76-inch, 2,772 x 1,344 SoC: Kirin 9000
Kirin 9000 RAM: 8GB
8GB Storage: 128/256/512GB Cameras: 50, 20, and 12MP
50, 20, and 12MP Front camera: 13MP + 3D ToF
13MP + 3D ToF Battery: 4,400mAh
4,400mAh Software: Android 10
Huawei P50 series
Kris Carlon / Android Authority
Previously one of Huawei’s most famous phones, the P series went much more unnoticed in 2021. Likely thanks to the inconveniences the lack of Google apps presents. But even without all of Google’s services, the Huawei P50 and Huawei P50 Pro managed to captivate plenty of those who were paying attention. Related: Huawei buyer’s guide
Once again, the company has put together really nicely built handsets with high-end specs and cameras that compete only with the best. The P50 Pro comes with four sensors. The standard one comes in at 50MP and has an f/1.8 aperture. Then there’s a 64MP 90mm periscope zoom, as well as a 13MP ultrawide. The company has also added a 40MP monochrome sensor for capturing more detail.
What’s more interesting is that the lower-end P50 actually gets a 12MP periscope camera with a 125mm focal length. This means it can zoom in further, optically. Both devices come with stunning performance and gorgeous builds, and their prices reflect that.
More recently, Huawei has entered the foldable flip-phone market with another addition to the Huawei P50 series. The Huawei P50 Pocket comes with similar specs and general performance, but the company has thrown in a larger foldable 6.9-inch OLED screen, which still has a 120Hz refresh rate. Other specs include the Snapdragon 888 chipset, eight to 12GB of RAM, and as much as 512GB of storage. The camera system and battery have been slightly downgraded, but the design has significantly improved, and many consider it a fashion-focused handset.
Huawei P50 Pro specs:
Display: 6.6-inch, 2,700 x 1,228
6.6-inch, 2,700 x 1,228 SoC: Kirin 9000
Kirin 9000 RAM: 8/12GB
8/12GB Storage: 128/256/512GB Cameras: 64, 50, 40, and 13MP
64, 50, 40, and 13MP Front camera: 13MP
13MP Battery: 4,360mAh
4,360mAh Software: HarmonyOS 2.0
Huawei P50 specs:
Display: 6.5-inch, 2,700 x 1,224
6.5-inch, 2,700 x 1,224 SoC: Snapdragon 888
Snapdragon 888 RAM: 8GB
8GB Storage: 128/256GB Cameras: 50, 13, and 12MP
50, 13, and 12MP Front camera: 13MP
13MP Battery: 4,100mAh
4,100mAh Software: HarmonyOS 2.0
Huawei P50 Pocket specs:
Display: 6.9-inch, 2790 x 1188
6.9-inch, 2790 x 1188 SoC: Snapdragon 888
Snapdragon 888 RAM: 8/12GB
8/12GB Storage: 256/512GB Cameras: 40, 32, and 13MP
40, 32, and 13MP Front camera: 10.7MP
10.7MP Battery: 4,000mAh
4,000mAh Software: HarmonyOS 2.0
Huawei Mate X2
Kris Carlon / Android Authority
Huawei’s latest foldable marks a significant departure for the company, as it adopts the same in-folding design pioneered by Samsung’s Galaxy Fold series. It’s a sensible move, though, as it protects the foldable screen from any damage. And our own Kris Carlon noted that Huawei’s foldable offers larger internal and external screens than Samsung’s device. More foldable coverage: The best foldable phones you can buy in 2021
In any event, the Mate X2 is flagship-level in many ways. There’s the Kirin 9000 5G SoC, 90Hz refresh rate for both panels, and a 4,500mAh battery with 55W wired charging. Photography is another strength for the foldable, packing an impressive quad-camera set-up featuring a 50MP RYYB primary camera, a 16MP ultrawide snapper, and two telephoto shooters (12MP 3X and 8MP 10X).
There are a few downsides to the foldable, though, and it starts with the lack of Google integration. But it also lacks the Z Fold 2’s wireless charging and ultra-thin glass protection. Nevertheless, foldables like this are why we hope Huawei’s US ban is eased.
Huawei Mate X2 specs:
Foldable display: 8-inch, 2,200 x 2,480
8-inch, 2,200 x 2,480 Cover display: 6.45-inch, 1,160 x 2,700
6.45-inch, 1,160 x 2,700 SoC: Kirin 9000
Kirin 9000 RAM: 8GB
8GB Storage: 256/512GB Cameras: 40, 16, 12, and 8MP
40, 16, 12, and 8MP Front camera: 16MP
16MP Battery: 4,500mAh
4,500mAh Software: Android 10
Nova 9 series
Tristan Rayner / Android Authority
The midrange market has been all the hype since last year, and Huawei sure isn’t staying behind. The Nova 9 series includes a couple of devices that offer great value for the price. These are the Huawei Nova 9 and Nova 9 Pro.
The Pro version was made mainly for China, so it was only released in a HarmonyOS 2.0 version. Meanwhile, the Nova 9 reached Europe, so it comes in two variants: one with HarmonyOS 2.0 for China, and an EMUI 12 version for other markets. Sadly, neither has Google services.
Still, both have plenty to offer. They come with Snapdragon 778G chipsets and 8GB of RAM, making for pretty good casual performance. They also feature quad-camera set-ups, a good battery, and 32MP front-facing cameras (of which the Pro version has two).
Huawei Nova 9 Pro specs:
Display: 6.72-inch, 2,676 x 1,236
6.72-inch, 2,676 x 1,236 SoC: Snapdragon 778G
Snapdragon 778G RAM: 8GB
8GB Storage: 128/256GB Cameras: 50, 8, 2, and 2MP
50, 8, 2, and 2MP Front camera: 32 and 32MP
32 and 32MP Battery: 4,000mAh
4,000mAh Software: HarmonyOS 2.0
Huawei Nova 9 specs:
Display: 6.57-inch, Full HD+
6.57-inch, Full HD+ SoC: Snapdragon 778G
Snapdragon 778G RAM: 8GB
8GB Storage: 128/256GB Cameras: 50, 8, 2, and 2MP
50, 8, 2, and 2MP Front camera: 32MP
32MP Battery: 4,300mAh
4,300mAh Software: HarmonyOS 2.0
P Smart 2021
Huawei
Want to save even more? The Huawei P Smart 2021 is one of the best Huawei phones to get at a low price. Unlike the previous iteration, the new P Smart is seemingly focused on enlarging everything, from display size to battery capacity, in a bid to entice Western buyers who may be put off by the lack of Google services. Read: The best budget phones you can buy
Visually, the new P Smart is reminiscent of the Huawei P40 line, featuring a large rectangular camera array at the rear with a punch-hole camera in the top-center of the screen. That screen measures 6.67 inches, much larger than the P Smart 2020’s modest 6.2-inch display. The device’s size also allows Huawei to slap in a 5,000mAh battery. Again, that’s some 1,600mAh larger than the P Smart 2020.
Internally, the Kirin 710A powers the phone alongside 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The latter can be bolstered by a microSD card, too.
Huawei P Smart specs:
Display: 6.67-inch, Full HD+
6.67-inch, Full HD+ SoC: Kirin 710A
Kirin 710A RAM: 4GB
4GB Storage: 128GB Cameras: 48, 8, 2, and 2MP
48, 8, 2, and 2MP Front camera: 8MP
8MP Battery: 5,000mAh
5,000mAh Software: Android 10
If you really can’t live without Google Play Services, and these phones don’t change your mind, then it’s time to take a look at our list of the best Android phones available. Because Huawei is mainly known for its smartphones’ camera capabilities, you might also want to look at our list of the best camera phones to find a worthy alternative.
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