Huawei P10 Plus, analysis and opinion

Huawei It bet really strong in the last edition of the Mobile World Congress presenting two devices, the P10 and the P10 Plus, which attracted all eyes.

We have already thoroughly analyzed the Huawei P10, now it is the turn of the more vitaminized version. Without further ado, I leave you with the Review in Spanish of the Huawei P10 Plus.  

Integrated

As with the more decaffeinated version, The Huawei P10 Plus has a design very similar to that of the P9, although with a series of details that make the difference.

The most notable, without a doubt, is the changing the position of the fingerprint reader, which happens to have a rectangular shape with rounded sides and is located on the front. The reason? The phone is thus better balanced in terms of weight. The most suitable situation? I think it is indifferent, I have been using this phone for a month and it has not taken me two days to get used to using the sensor on the front and not on the back as with my latest terminals.

The only bad thing about the change of situation is that The Huawei P10 Plus has lost a bit of that essence that differentiated the manufacturer from other phones. It is yet another phone with the reader on the front and without any visible logo. Of course, when you turn the phone around, things change.

And it is that the manufacturer has taken advantage of the gap left by the reader in the back to include the brand's logo in its place, just below the double camera system. Another difference from the previous model is that the edges of the Huawei P10 Plus are now more rounded, making it easier to grip the device.  

Finally we have the the turn on and turn off button, located on the right side of the phone next to the volume control keys. To say that all these buttons offer a more than correct route and a good resistance to pressure, but now the power button has a pink tone around it that gives it a differentiating touch that I really liked. At the bottom we will find the speaker output, plus USB Type-C charging port and headphone jack, something common in the brand's devices.

The Huawei P10 Plus finishes are simply spectacular. The device has an aluminum chassis that surrounds the terminal, but on top of it the back has a ceramic finish that gives the new Huawei flagship a unique and really nice touch. To this must be added the glass window that protects the double chamber and that distills quality through each of its pores.

El phone is very well balanced And it feels really good in the hand, yes, I have to say that the Huawei P10 Plus is a very large phone. Too much if we compare it with other models with similar or even superior screens, such as the Galaxy S8 or the LG G6.

Personally, I have big hands so I can easily reach any point on the screen, but I'm sure that many users will have to use both hands when looking at notifications or performing certain gestures. We always have the option of activating the one-handed mode, but I would have liked the front to be better used although we will have to wait for the next generation to see if Huawei manages to further reduce the dimensions of the Huawei P10 Plus.

Technical characteristics of the Huawei P10 Plus

The Huawei P10 Plus has superior hardware than that of the Huawei Mate 9, so it was to be expected that the terminal would be fast as a bullet, more if we take into account the 6 GB of RAM with which the model that I have analyzed has, and it has been exactly how I expected.

El Kirin 960 It is a powerful octa-core processor manufactured with 16 nanometer FinFET Plus technology and has support for LTE category 12. To that we must add its powerful GPU Mali G71 along with the 6 GB of RAM that the device has and that offer impressive performance.

I have been testing different games and applications that require a large graphic load and the terminal has responded excellently, allowing me to enjoy the most cutting-edge games without suffering any lag or stoppage, something to expect in a terminal of this range.

I want to emphasize that I have tried to force the possibilities of the phone to the maximum by opening a multitude of applications and games that require a lot of resources to function smoothly and I have not managed to get below the 2.5 GB of RAM available. 

Is this setup worth it?To this day, it seems even excessive to mount 6 GB of RAM but I understand that the market always wants the most of the most so you can rest assured that this phone will be able to move any game or application in the future without problems and without having to worry about the available memory.

Highlight that, Although the Huawei P10 Plus cannot be submerged in water, it does have splash resistance by having a protective layer on all components. If you get into the shower with it, it will possibly become a paperweight with an exquisite design, but you should not worry if you have to call in the rain or the fact that the phone suffers from splashes.

A powerful fingerprint reader with big surprises

El Huawei P10 Plus has the best fingerprint reader on the market. As simple as that. Whenever I test a Huawei / Honor terminal, I hope it stands out in this section with respect to its competitors and in the case of the Huawei P10 Plus the manufacturer has once again surpassed itself.

Their ability to recognize our footprint is immediate and the error rate simply imperceptible. I will have had to reposition the finger the same once or twice in a month of use. And I say this because I'm sure it will have happened to me sometime, but I don't remember any situation so it is clear that in this aspect the biometric sensor works perfectly.

In addition, Huawei has implemented an option that allows you to use the reader to navigate the terminal interface, instead of using the familiar on-screen buttons. With a series of gestures we can go back, return to the main screen or open multitasking mode.

Personally, I have not been able to get used to this system and I have preferred to opt for the conventional mode, with the three buttons at the bottom of the screen, but I know several people who have the phone and are delighted with this function so they do not I can criticize. If you like it, keep it, if not, go back to the traditional way.

2K display to rub shoulders with the biggest

Unlike the P10, the new Huawei P10 Plus does have a 2K panel. I am talking about an IPS Neo screen signed by Japan display, seen in other models of the manufacturer and that has a QHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) in a diagonal of 5.5 inches, which leaves a dot density of 530 dpi.

The quality of the panel is quite good, reaching the 500 nits so you should not worry about using the terminal outdoors without thinking that the reflection of the sun will not let you see the screen.

The screen looks really good, with vivid and sharp colors. Although PPersonally I like AMOLED panels better, I have to say that the work in this aspect is really good.

Also Its viewing angles together with the powerful speakers that the Huawei P10 Plus has invite you to enjoy movies and video games with friends and family.  

Okay, the million dollar question. Why do I want a 2K screen? The truth is that with the naked eye it is very difficult to differentiate a Full HD panel from a 2K one, but there are certain situations in which the WOW! Effect appears.

On the one hand when reading documents since the letters look sharper, but the most important point is when it comes to enjoy content in virtual reality. It is essential to have a screen of this type to be able to appreciate and correctly use games, movies or videos in general with this technology. And I already tell you that the difference is more than remarkable.

A really amazing speaker

The P10 Plus has a large, lower speaker and that complements with the earpiece on the front, which provides some treble and extra sound.

The truth is that the feeling that has left me is very positive. The speakers sound really good offering pretty clear sound. Until you turn the volume up a lot, at about 80-90% that annoying canned sound doesn't appear.

In this way, without reaching the sound quality of models oriented to this section such as the ZTE Axon 7, I can say that the sound quality of the Huawei P10 Plus is one of the best on the market.

Correct autonomy, excellent fast charging

The Huawei P10 Plus has the technology Supercharge that we already saw in the Mate 9 and the result is spectacular.

To start the 3.750 mAh battery it has enough power to withstand a day of intensive use without having to worry that the phone will leave you lying in the middle of the afternoon. Of course, charging the phone every two days is impossible.

The most I have achieved is to stretch the battery a day and a half giving a more moderate use. Note that the phone has an ultra energy saving mode that has saved me from more than one trouble. Do you have less than 20% battery left? Activate this mode and select the most essential applications you want to work with.

And if to this we add that the fast charging system that mounts the Huawei P10 Plus that charges 50% of the battery in 30 minutes, we have a really appetizing combination. Then the speed is noticeably reduced, taking almost 2 hours to fully charge the terminal, but charging more than 3% every 2 minutes of charging, we know that if we have forgotten to charge the phone at night, while we shower and have breakfast we will have the phone ready to use all day.

EMUI 5.1 takes a step forward in terms of functionality

The custom layer that the Huawei P10 has, is based on Android 7.0 nougat, something to expect in a terminal of this range. The changes compared to previous versions are notable since, for example, we can activate an application drawer, ideal if you do not like the desktop system of the EMUI 5.1 layer.

La vast majority of apps and features are three clicks away so it is very easy and comfortable to get to any section of the terminal. Highlight its multitasking management that, with a light touch on the corresponding button, we will access a system of "cards" with which we can see what applications we have open.

Like previous models, the Huawei P10 Plus has the option of perform different gestures with your knuckles to take screenshots or activate the split screen function that will allow us to use two applications at the same time on the same screen. You have to get the hang of it, and I anticipate that it will take time to do it, but once you get used to it you will see that it works really well.

Highlight that keyboard Swiftkey It comes standard in the terminal so writing with this Huawei P10 Plus is a real joy. And special emphasis on the "twin applications" mode, a really interesting feature of EMUI 5.0 and that allows us to use the same service, such as WhatsApp or Facebook, with two profiles. Ideal for those people who have a personal number and another professional and who do not want to carry two phones at the same time.

Huawei's new interface features a intelligence platform artificial own that learns through our use of the device, adapting to our needs and offering better performance.

These algorithms, which do not need an internet connection to work, adapt to our daily use and make the applications you use frequently run faster. It is effective? I have no idea well I have not noticed an improvement in performance, but since the performance is perfect every time, I can assume that this feature is really worth it.

One of the best cameras on the market

Huawei has once again bet on a  dual lens system which makes clear the intention of the manufacturer to strengthen its alliance with Leica. And the results achieved have been really good.

First it has a first sensor with a resolution of 20 megapixels and a focal aperture f 2.2 that collects monochrome information (in black and white) and secondly we find a second 12 megapixel sensor that has the same focal aperture and that Capture the images in color.

Both lenses are the model Leica Summary - H 1: 2.2 / 27 that we already saw in the Huawei P9 and P9 Plus. The result of this combination makes the images captured in color or black and white reach 20 megapixels. The trick lies in the image processing as the Huawei P10 Plus intersperses both captured images, both in color and in black and white, to interpolate the colors creating a real 20 megapixel image.

And what about the effect bokeh This is achieved with the terminal's double camera and is activated through the Extended aperture parameter in the phone's camera app. The photos captured with this mode are surprising since, once the capture is made, we can vary the depth of field of the photograph thanks to its powerful processing software, achieving results that will delight photography lovers.

And the software helps a lot in this regard. The Huawei P10 camera app  Plus has a large number of filters and modes that open up a unique range of possibilities. Especially the monochrome mode for taking incredible black and white photos. And we cannot forget the professional mode that will allow you to manually change different camera parameters, such as focus or white balance, becoming an essential tool for experts in the field of photography. Yes, rest assured that you can save images in RAW format.

Highlight that the combination of both sensors allows to create a 2x hybrid zoom and digital that offers a quite acceptable performance, without reaching the level of an optical zoom but that, I guarantee you, will save you from more than one trouble.

To say that the focusing speed of the camera P10 More it is very bgood, offering very fast and quality captures. Later I will leave you a series of photographs taken with the phone so that you can see its possibilities.

The colors look very sharp and vivid, especially in environments with good lighting, although its behavior in night photos has surprised me. I want to emphasize that the captures made with the cameras offer reality in a particularly faithful way.

What does this mean? That we will not see images as colorful as in other high-end phones that have HDR activated at its best to offer brighter colors. Personally I like this option more, and if I want to treat the image I will use the large number of filters available to give a more striking touch to the captures made.

The captures obtained with the P10 Plus they are impressive and the fact of being able to play with the bokeh effect gives it a very interesting point. Not to mention the fact that we can record in 4K format at 30 frames per second.

La front camera, with a focal aperture of f / 1.9 It has quite a good performance, behaving very well and offering very good captures thanks to its 8 megapixel lens, becoming an infallible ally for lovers of selfies.

Huawei has had a hard time catching up with Samsung in this regard and, taking into account that the P10's camera allows taking photos with an out-of-focus effect that give them a unique look, I prefer the Asian manufacturer's camera.

Gallery of photographs taken with the Huawei P10 Plus

Final conclusions

El Huawei P10 Plus is a great phone, with really powerful hardware, quality finishes and a dual camera system that will delight photography lovers. The manufacturer has long established itself in third place in the world ranking in terms of smartphone sales, but if it continues to work at this rate, I do not think it will take too long to unseat Samsung and Apple, its major competitors. What is clear is that today none of his competitors will be able to snatch this position from him.

And be careful, because Huawei has rope for a while so we can expect many surprises, and very interesting, throughout this year. What will surprise us with when they present the next Huawei Mate 10?

Editor's opinion