Huawei P8 Lite, because quality does not have to be at odds with price

At the end of April the Huawei P8 Lite-...Huawei P8 Lite »/] reached the Spanish market. A mobile phone with a design and features that extol it at the top of the mid-range thanks to its power and quality finishes.

After having had this phone for two weeks, my conclusions are very clear: it is without a doubt one of the best mid-range devices on the market. So let's move on to Huawei P8 Lite review, a phone that will make your competitors shake.

An attractive design that distances itself from its competitors

Already seeing the box of the P8 Lite and its minimalist designIt is clear that Huawei's design team has put a lot of emphasis on this aspect. And when you pick up the device, you notice the quality of its finishes.

Measuring 143mm high, 70,6mm long and so only 7,7 mm wide, It is clear that the Huawei P8 Lite is a very handy phone. And its 131 grams of weight make this terminal a really light device.

And what about its design; andl P8 Lite breaks the stereotype that a mid-range terminal has to have mid-range finishes; in the case of Huawei's little gem, quality exudes from every pore.

To begin with, the Huawei P8 Lite has a body made of polycarbonate, although the design of its back cover makes it very comfortable to the touch, in addition to preventing it from slipping from your hands. Besides the Aluminum frame that wraps around the device gives it a very premium look.

On the upper right side of the phone we find the power button and the volume control. All buttons are also constructed of aluminum, offering a quality to the touch very pleasant. We can say that its construction is more than correct.

Both micro SIM card slots and memory card, are located at the bottom right of the terminal, using the typical pin system to remove the card. One detail that I really liked is the fact that one of the slots can be used for both the microSD card and the nano SIM card. A point for Huawei and that other manufacturers could copy.

The 3.5mm jack is located at the top of the Huawei P8 Lite, while the stereo speakers are located at the bottom. The sound quality is very good, a factor to consider. Too bad that the position of the speakers makes us sometimes mistakenly plug the outlet of audio, significantly reducing the sound quality. A mistake most manufacturers make, but a mistake all in all.

And we can't forget about the camera, located on the back left. Note that the camera does not stand out at all, following that minimalist line and sense of elegance conveyed by the Huawei P8 Lite.

Huawei P8 Lite, betting on its own solutions

The P8 Lite screen is made up of a 5-inch IPS LCD panel that achieves a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and 294 dpi. The truth is that the quality is very good, offering a range of colors with very vivid tones. In addition, Huawei allows you to configure the color temperature, allowing each user to optimize the tonalities of the screen to their liking.

Regarding the viewing angles, in our analysis the  Huawei P8 Lite has performed really well, offering a fairly wide range and allowing it to be used in any environment: no matter how sunny it is, you will be able to see the screen without problems, something that I personally appreciate very much.

And if you are a careless person who leaves the phone next to the keys or any other object that can damage the screen, rest assured. The Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protective layer that integrates the front panel of the P8 Lite will avoid many scares. Personally, I am one of those people and in this case, after two weeks of intensive use, the terminal has not suffered any damage.

Under the hood we find a brand of the house processor: HiSilicon Kirin 620 eight-core at a clock speed of 1.2 GHz and 64-bit architecture. If we add to this a powerful ARM Mali-450 GPU and 2 GB of RAM, it is clear that the Huawei P8 Lite is a very powerful terminal.

Su 16 GB internal memory It will more than meet the needs of most users, but if that's not enough, you can rest assured: its micro SD card slot will allow you to expand the phone's ROM up to 128 GB.

Putting numbers on the table I would tell you that in AnTuTu has obtained 34808 points, a fairly good score and that shows that the Huawei P8 Lite is a very powerful phone for the range it is aimed at. But what matters is how it behaves on paper. And here the new device of the Asian manufacturer can breastfeed.

To begin with, the P8 Lite works like silk, without stops or annoying cuts. I have tried games that require a lot of resources, such as Modern Combat 5 or Real Racing and the phone has behaved perfectly. The only but is that sometimes it got a little hot, something common in certain phones, so I would not worry too much about that aspect.

High quality speaker

As a user of an HTC One I am a bit picky about the sound issue. Most terminals usually disappoint me in this regard, although the Huawei P8 Lite has surprised me for the better. Although it is true that their speakers do not reach the BoomSound quality of the Taiwanese manufacturer, and the situation of them means that you can cover them by mistake, we must recognize the great job done in this regard.

Your system Intelligent audio amplification (Smart Power Amplifier) ​​prevents sound cuts when you are listening to music it also detects pressure and temperature and amplitude to offer a high quality sound.
Ultimately, one of those aspects that make the Huawei P8 Lite stand out from its competitors. That's right.

Intuitive and fast interface, although not very useful for multitasking mode

It is time to talk about the only negative aspect that I find the Huawei P8 Lite: its interface. While it is true that this mobile phone works with Android 5.0, the Asian manufacturer has installed its custom interface EMUI 3.1. A fully configurable interface that allows you to configure many parameters allowing the possibility of customizing the phone to your liking.

While is true that EMUI 3.1 offers optimal performance, without cuts or stops, the multitasking option is very annoying. The fact of seeing a maximum of four open applications and having to go through different windows to find the application you want to open can be annoying.

There are times when It is more convenient to go to the main menu and find the application that we want to use than to take advantage of multitasking. An annoying flaw, but one that doesn't weigh heavily on the user experience, which is still very positive.

In return we must highlight some very interesting details; To start with, the P8 Lite allows you to activate some functions, such as the camera or music, by performing simple gestures on the screen off. The effect is very attractive and works quickly and easily. In addition to the fact that the Chinese manufacturer has built-in FM radio as standard on the Huawei P8 Lite, which I personally consider one of those basic elements that any phone should be standard.

Hands down the best camera you'll find in a mid-range phone

I personally consider the camera to be one of the most important elements in a smartphone. And the Huawei P8 Lite fully complies in this regard. Its main chamber formed by a 278 megapixel Sony IMX 13 BSI lens (f / 2.0 aperture and 28mm wide angle) with dual LED flash offers excellent performance, allowing you to configure many parameters such as ISO, white balance, saturation, exposure, contrast or brightness.

In addition to offering various capture modes, The main camera of the Huawei P8 Lite offers a series of very interesting functions:

• Panoramic: Allows you to take panoramic photos by joining several photos at the same time automatically with spectacular results.
• Best photo: activating this function you will be able to take several captures at the same time and choose the best photograph
• Audio note: when taking a capture with this mode you will be able to insert an audio note. A curious way to send a greeting or a congratulation.
• HDR mode: the HDR mode that allows you to capture the colors of a photograph is known to everyone. If you know how to use it correctly, the difference will leave you impressed. You will see several examples of its usefulness in the example photographs below.
• Total Focus: By activating this option we will make a normal capture, but then we can take advantage of the powerful processing software of the Huawei P8 Lite to focus on any element of the photograph. An impressive and really useful option.

I have tested the camera in different environments and the results have been more than satisfactory. Regarding environments with optimal lighting, such as a sunny day, the images it captures are perfect, offering a sharpness and a level of detail that rivals high-end phones.

Much of these results must be attributed to excellent image post processing work of the Huawei P8 Lite. As is customary for a mobile phone, when taking pictures in dimly lit environments the dreaded noise makes an appearance.

Examples of photographs

Normal photography vs photography in HDR mode

The only but that I have found is that the Huawei P8 Lite camera has trouble focusing at very short distances, but in short, I can say that The Huawei P8 Lite camera is one of the best on the market and certainly sweeps any phone in its range.

More than remarkable autonomy

Lately the Honor range oriented to the European market has left a great taste in my mouth due to the autonomy of the terminals that I have analyzed. But, will the Huawei P8 Lite comply in this section? Although it is true that it does not reach the levels of the Honor terminals, I have to say that its performance has been more than satisfactory. And that Android 5.0 consumes battery mercilessly.

In limited use, the P8 Lite has lasted me two full days. In the case of more intensive use, playing a game for a while, with an hour or an hour and a half on Spotify and pumping up the screen through social networks and multimedia content, the result has been better, more if we take into account that integrates a 2.200 mAh battery.

As you can see in the image, the Huawei P8 Lite has lasted more than 32 hours on, something unprecedented in a smartphone today. Of course, at night in airplane mode, which is not a plan to receive notifications while I sleep. Another section where the P8 Lite stands out compared to its competitors.

Conclusions

The feelings could not have been more positive. A pleasant touch, a minimalist look with that premium touch that you like so much, quality camera and optimal performance. What else to ask for? An adjusted price.
Given that the Huawei P8 Lite costs 269 eurosAlthough if you search online you can always find it cheaper, there is no doubt that it is the king of its range and one of the most interesting options to consider.

Editor's Opinion