Recently, the market has begun to be flooded with high-performance smartphone models that, frankly, are beyond the means of the average user. For this reason, manufacturers decided to give such users the opportunity to acquire flagships, but in a lighter (stripped-down) version.
Huawei P8 lite is the younger and less powerful brother of the Huawei P8 model. It completely repeats the shape and design, but there are also significant differences. So, instead of a metal body, the lightweight version received plastic, and at the same time the performance indicators noticeably decreased. Additionally, it is worth mentioning a less capacious battery, which affects battery life. But in general... And what the user will receive in general we will consider next.
Design and ergonomics
The first time you look at a smartphone Huawei P8 Lite you can easily confuse it with the full version of this line. But when you pick it up and look closely, the differences immediately become noticeable. So, as already mentioned, the case material is plastic. For this reason, the gadget is lighter and seems more fragile.
If you look at it in general, without comparison with its older brother, the lightweight version looks presentable. It fits comfortably in the hand, and the functional buttons are located ergonomically.
Display, hardware, OS
The very first thing that attracts attention is the display. It has a diagonal of 5" and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. In this case, their density is 294 ppi. As for viewing angles, for that kind of money the manufacturer could have used a better matrix. Colors fade dramatically, turn green and appear negative when viewed indirectly. But, if you don’t play with the angles, but look straight, then everything is consistently clear and beautiful.
The smartphone is equipped with a 13 megapixel main camera and a 5 megapixel front camera. Photo and video shooting is of high quality, and one can only complain about the insufficient color saturation.
Smartphone Huawei P8 lite An eight-core Kirin 620 processor is used to process all data. Stability is achieved by two gigabytes of RAM, and the Mali-450 MP video processor can handle 3D graphics perfectly.
The battery of this version of the Huawei P8 smartphone is quite weak. Agree that for a 5” display with an eight-core processor, 2200 mah is very little. At the same time, utilities to reduce charge consumption are absolutely helpless here.
Despite the fact that the new Android 5.0 is used as the OS, the proprietary shell does not make this clear. It is more similar to iOS than to Google's brainchild. At the same time, performance is excellent.
Competitors and general impression
In terms of competitiveness, Huawei P8 lite is very far behind in this regard. Gadgets with similar characteristics, and even higher, can be purchased with a price tag 5-8 thousand lower. For example, Asus ZenFone 2 and Xiaomi Mi4i. And by paying a little extra you can already get a Lenovo P90, which has a 4000 mah battery.
In general, the new product in question is saved from collapse only by its presentable appearance and the good name of its older brother. But for some people this is quite enough to make them choose Huawei P8 lite.
Huawei P8 Lite is a simplified version of the flagship, which costs significantly less. Let's conduct a review so you can understand whether it's worth buying it or whether it's better to pay extra and get the top version.
Technical characteristics of Huawei P8 Lite:
- Screen: IPS, 5’’, 1280x720, 294 ppi
- Processor: eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 620, 1.2 GHz
- Graphics accelerator: Mali-450 MP
- Operating system: Android 5.0 + Huawei EMUI 3.1
- RAM: 2 GB
- Built-in memory: 16 GB
- Memory card support: microSD
- Communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 || LTE: 1, 3, 7, 8, 20
- SIM: nanoSIM + nanoSIM
- Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
- Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
- Cameras: main - 13 MP (LED flash, autofocus), front - 5 MP
- Sensors: light, proximity, compass
- Battery: 2200 mAh
- Dimensions: 143x70.6x7.7 mm
- Weight: 131 grams
Equipment
Traditionally, we start our Huawei P8 Lite review with the package, which comes in a narrow but tall package. The first thing we see when we open it is the smartphone itself, which lies on the side. On either side of it there are two boxes that differ in size. The large one contained a charger, a microUSB cable, a headset and a paper clip. And in the small stuff there is documentation.
In appearance, Huawei P8 Lite is practically no different from the older version, especially if judged only by the pictures. But once you pick up each of these gadgets, the difference becomes more noticeable.
The review of the Huawei P8 Lite 2017 smartphone showed that in the younger modification they decided to save on body materials by abandoning the use of metal. There is not a single metal element in the design - even the frame is plastic. The back, although not removable, is entirely made of plastic. They tried to style it as metal, but an attentive user will easily notice the difference. Despite this, the phone looks good, the only let down is the tactile sensations, by which you immediately understand that you are holding a junior plastic model in your hands.
The display is covered with protective glass, which is slightly recessed into the body. Above it they installed a notification light indicator, a light sensor, as well as a proximity sensor, a conversational speaker and a front-facing camera.
Below is only the corporate logo; it was decided to use on-screen keys.
The upper part of the back is occupied by a glass insert in which the main camera lens and a two-tone vertical flash are built into it.
A 3.5 mm jack and an auxiliary microphone were placed on the top edge.
The main microphone, external speaker and microUSB port between them are installed at the bottom.
The left end was left empty, but on the right there was a volume rocker, a power key and a hybrid slot in which you can install one microSIM paired with a nanoSIM or microSD.
Large gaps were left above and below the display; without them, the case would have been much more practical. But in general, it fits well in the palm and does not try to slip out.
Huawei P8 Lite black 2017 review shows that the smartphone has a good IPS display with a diagonal of 5 inches and HD resolution. The combination is not the best and gives 294 pixels per inch.
There is an oleophobic coating and an auto-brightness option that sets the correct settings depending on the light level around you. The quality of the oleophobic coating is not the best, but the finger glides easily. Multitouch has support for 10 simultaneous touches.
The maximum brightness level should have been made higher - 316 cd/m², which is why using it in bright sunshine will be very problematic. The minimum is set at 9.7 cd/m². The contrast is low - 505:1.
The review of the Huawei P8 Lite black smartphone showed that the screen has no significant shortcomings, but it is completely unsuitable for use in bright sunlight. The brightness reserve and contrast are let down, but in its price range everything is not so bad. In the menu you can find an item such as “Color Temperature”. By going into it you can select one of the available display color modes. This is a good solution, because some users will like cooler tones, while others, on the contrary, want to see warmer shades.
Performance
The characteristics of Huawei P8 Lite 2017 black are based on a proprietary processor - HiSilicon Kirin 620. It is 64-bit and includes 8 cores with a frequency limit of 1.2 GHz. In addition to it, there is a Mali-T450 MP4 graphics accelerator. RAM - 2 GB, and built-in memory - 16 GB. After the first turn on, a little more than 1 GB of RAM and 10.49 GB of internal memory remain available. Yes, the volume is not enough, but do not forget that you can sacrifice one SIM card and install microSD.
According to the results of synthetic tests, the processor is comparable to the MediaTek MT6752 and will be slightly better than the Snapdragon 615.
The computing power is enough for the smartphone to confidently cope with any everyday tasks, and games will also have good fps if you experiment with the graphics settings. It’s not always possible to play at maximum, but the gameplay is comfortable and without slowdowns, even if we talk about the latest hits, such as NFS No Limits.
Wireless communications
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 black review shows that the smartphone received an NFC chip and Bluetooth 4.0. Unfortunately, only 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi support is declared. The location is determined quickly and with minimal error, for which GPS and GLONASS are used. Signal reception is stable, no problems arose during testing.
Working with SIM cards is done in a classic way: priorities are set in the settings, so you don’t have to choose which one to make a call or send an SMS every time. But you need to take into account that 4G/3G is supported only by the first card.
Sound
Huawei P8 Lite 2017 dual sim review shows that the external speaker boasts a large volume reserve. The quality of music playback did not disappoint, the only thing was that it was located in a less than ideal place. During the game, it is easily blocked by the palm, muffling the sound. The speaker transmits the voice of the interlocutor without distortion, the volume margin is acceptable. The microphone also does its job well. Music sounds good in the headset, and it will be comfortable to listen to it at half the volume, provided you use high-quality headphones.
Autonomy
The Huawei P8 Lite review turns to autonomy, which is driven by a battery with a capacity of only 2200 mAh, which is very small by modern standards. This already hints that you can’t walk far from a power outlet with the Huawei P8, or you always have to have a power bank at hand. This results in weak battery life results, although in a moderate usage scenario it will be possible to last until the evening charge. Energy saving modes save the situation; when activated, all background activity is suppressed. You can choose one of three energy saving levels. In maximum economy mode, performance is reduced, which can cause lag in resource-intensive applications.
As the Huawei P8 Lite gold review showed, with continuous reading the battery lasted for 11 hours at minimum brightness, and when playing videos in 720p at the same brightness and with an active Wi-Fi connection - 7 hours. The device lasted 3.5 hours in games. The results are average, no matter how hard you try, but you will have to connect to the charger every day. A full charge takes 2 hours and 15 minutes.
Huawei P8 Lite camera review
Huawei P8 Lite white dual sim review moves on to the cameras, in which we did not find any significant changes. The main module uses the already familiar 13 MP Sony IMX 214 sensor, which we have seen in previous generations of the smartphone. In the hands of a skilled photographer, you can expect decent images, but the quality of the images is greatly influenced by lighting conditions.
The standard application has a huge number of settings that the average user can easily get lost in. Shooting can be done in HDR mode, which enhances the illumination of objects located in the shadows. The Huawei Honor P8 lite review showed that you can take audio notes from photos, add a watermark, take burst shots and take colorful panoramas of the area. Both the main and front cameras received a facial skin enhancement mode, when visual imperfections, including acne, are smoothed out.
In good lighting conditions, high-quality images are obtained, although noise appears when enlarged. When shooting at night, you have to freeze for a few seconds to get a really good shot, but it's worth it.
The wide-angle front camera with a resolution of 5 MP can record video in FullHD format. You can get decent selfies with it if you shoot in good lighting conditions.
Conclusion
Huawei P8 lite deserves attention among those who value, above all, the practicality of the case and its design. But besides this, the smartphone has something to offer - an excellent camera, a user-friendly interface, good hardware and clear images on the display. At the same time, the brightness reserve and contrast of the screen are disappointing; it would be a good idea to increase the battery capacity.
Where can I buy?
Your rating for the smartphone:
We haven’t had Huawei smartphones in our “Laboratory” for a long time, although several interesting models were released in 2015, including an update to the flagship series, which it would be wrong to ignore, but let’s look at it in a lighter version - Huawei P8 Lite. It was presented immediately after the flagship; previously such versions were available in a separate G series. This is a kind of experience of dividing one line into different versions; this approach is used by some market leaders.
It was also released in a version with an increased screen diagonal P8 Max. The Huawei P8 Lite tested today at the current price level looks more interesting than its older brother P8. At the time of testing, the average cost, according to the Yandex.Market service, is 18,000 rubles. Gearbest online store offers an opportunity to save money, here Huawei P8 Lite costs $199, It came to our editorial office without the original packaging.
Video review of Huawei P8 Lite
Appearance
Huawei P8 Lite is made in the same style as the flagship. The “P” line of this manufacturer is an image line; special attention has always been paid to appearance. The reduced price tag did not cause the abandonment of this approach. This model looks impressive and is available in black and white.
The overall dimensions of the case are 70.6x143x7.7 mm and weighs 130 grams. The smartphone fits comfortably in your hands without slipping.
They did not use glass here, and this turned out to be correct: the problem with contamination and fingerprints during active use was solved. And overall practicality has increased.
Instead of a metal lid, plastic with spraying and a textured coating is used. The quality of materials and assembly is at a high level, nothing creaks or plays.
The side face with rounded edges is stylized as metal; it completely encircles the body in a closed contour. The left side was engraved with a serial number: not the best solution - dirt gets clogged here.
The Huawei P8 Lite case is non-separable. SIM and memory card are installed in a sliding slide. To access them you will need the supplied key or paperclip. Unfortunately, as with previous models, engineers offer a choice of SIM+SIM or SIM+microSD.
Both slides are on the right side, there is also a power button and a volume rocker. They are stylized as metal and are located blindly.
At the bottom is a paired speaker and microphone grille with round holes, separated by microUSB. This smartphone does not support OTG. One more solution.
An audio jack and an additional noise-canceling microphone were placed on the top edge of the Huawei P8 Lite.
The front side of the smartphone is covered with Gorilla Glass 3 with a small edging along the side edge. The top frame includes proximity and light sensors, a front camera lens, and an LED indicator. At the bottom there is only the Huawei logo. The lower buttons have been moved to the interface, taking away useful space from applications.
The main camera and LED flash are in a separate area on the back cover. Below is the manufacturer's logo.
Screen
An IPS matrix with a diagonal of 5 inches with HD resolution (1280 by 720) and pixel density of 294 ppi is installed. Up to 10 simultaneous touches are processed. There is an anti-reflective filter; there is no air gap between the protective glass and the matrix. The maximum brightness level is high, the image remains legible in direct sunlight.
The backlight can be adjusted either manually or automatically. The advantages include maximum viewing angles, uniform illumination and good color balance settings. In the settings, you can shift to warm or cool tones.
Filling
The heart of Huawei P8 Lite is the eight-core HiSilicon Kirin 620 single-chip processor, which is our own development. 64-bit architecture with Cortex-A53 cores and Mali-T450MP4 graphics. The performance level is similar to MediaTek MT6752 and Snapdragon 615.
There are 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory available, of which 10 GB is available to the user. The performance level is sufficient for smooth operation of the interface and launching a 3D game. During load, the maximum heating temperature of the back cover does not exceed 44 degrees.
Antutu
Vellamo
3D Antutu
Battery
A 2200 mAh battery is responsible for the autonomous operation of the Huawei P8 Lite - modest by modern standards. There is no need to expect autonomy records here. In a normal scenario, you can go through an entire workday without needing to charge; active work will require one or two additional charges during the day. At maximum load, discharge takes place in 3 hours. Playing movies - for 6 hours, reading - 10 hours. On long trips it would be a good idea to take a PowerBank.
Connection
Huawei P8 Lite supports LTE networks, including Russian frequencies. There are Bluetooth 4.0 modules, single-band Wi-Fi, NFC with Huawei Beam data exchange technology. The navigation module uses a joint GPS and Russian GLONASS signal. The satellite search speed is high, the connection is stable.Media
Huawei P8 Lite has only one speaker. The volume level is high, the sound is pleasant to the ear. There are no complaints about the conversational speaker. Users have access to FM radio, which only works when a headset is connected.Camera
The main camera module of the Huawei P8 Lite has a resolution of 13 megapixels, f/2.0 aperture. It uses its own application with manual settings for improving the quality of pictures, removing defects from the face, and shooting modes. There is a remote start with activation from smiles and voices. The user can save individual filter settings to improve the quality of selfies. Front camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels, f/2.4 aperture. The image quality is acceptable, autofocus is fast. The video is shot in Full HD resolution.
Software
At the time of testing, the Google Android 5.0.1 operating system with the Emotion UI 3.1 shell was installed. Updates to 5.1 and 6.0 were not released; whether they will be released in 2016 is an open question.
We got acquainted with this shell earlier. We looked at it in more detail in the video review of this smartphone. There are no particular complaints about it; it works smoothly, offering users the ability to customize.
One of the features worth noting is the absence of a separate window for applications; icons are displayed directly on the desktop. Gestures are supported. There is a quick access panel to frequently used functions.
Results on Huawei P8 Lite
Huawei P8 Lite is a good option for those who are looking for a stylish smartphone with an adequate set of characteristics, but are not ready to overpay for the title of flagship. The strengths include a 64-bit processor, IPS HD screen, nice design, excellent build, 13-megapixel camera, NFC, LTE. You will have to put up with the lack of support for a second SIM when installing a memory card, low battery capacity, lack of OTG and updates to the latest version of Android.Let's start with the good news. Huawei marketers have finally gotten rid of the completely unnecessary, rudimentary word Ascend in the names of their smartphones. It has outlived its usefulness - and that’s wonderful. Now the names of the Chinese company's smartphones sound succinct and concise. Compare for yourself which is better: Huawei Ascend P7 or Huawei P8/P8 Lite. The answer, in our opinion, is obvious: the shorter it is, the easier it is for everyone.
Now as for the new products from Huawei themselves. The first is a typical flagship. A large screen with Full HD resolution, a powerful eight-core processor, three gigabytes of RAM, support for advanced LTE standards, 13- and 8-megapixel cameras - this is not a complete list of the advantages of the Huawei P8. But we will talk about it in detail another time. Today we will talk about his younger brother -. It should be noted that Huawei has not previously spoiled us with various “mini” smartphones; this genre is new for the company. Therefore, it is very interesting to see how lumpy their first mini-pancake came out.
⇡ Technical specifications
| Huawei Ascend P6 | Huawei Ascend P7 | Huawei P8 Lite | Huawei P8 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Touch screen | 4.7 inches, 720 × 1280 pixels, IPS; touches |
5 inches, 1080 × 1920 pixels, IPS; Capacitive, up to 10 simultaneous touches |
5 inches, 720 × 1280 pixels, IPS; Capacitive, up to 10 simultaneous touches |
5.2 inches, 1080 × 1920 pixels, IPS; Capacitive, up to 10 simultaneous touches |
| Air gap | No | No | No | No |
| Oleophobic coating | Eat | Eat | Eat | Eat |
| Polarizing filter | Eat | Eat | Eat | Eat |
| CPU | Huawei HiSilicon K3V2E: Four cores ARM Cortex-A9 (ARMv7) frequency 1.5 GHz; Process technology 40 nm; 32-bit computing |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 910T: Four cores ARM Cortex-A9 (ARMv7) frequency 1.8 GHz; Process technology 28 nm; 32-bit computing |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 620: Eight cores ARM Cortex-A53 (ARMv8) Frequency 1.2 GHz; Process technology 28 nm; 32- and 64-bit computing |
Huawei HiSilicon Kirin 930/935: Four cores ARM Cortex-A53 (ARMv8), 1.5 GHz; Four cores ARM Cortex-A53e (ARMv8), 2 GHz; ARM big.LITTLE technology; Process technology 28 nm; 32- and 64-bit computing |
| Graphics controller | Vivante GC4000 | ARM Mali-450 MP4, 533 MHz | ARM Mali-450 MP4, 533 MHz | ARM Mali-T628 MP4, 600 MHz |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 3 GB |
| Flash memory | 8 GB + microSD | 16 GB + microSD | 16 GB + microSD | 32/64 GB + microSD |
| Connectors | 1 × micro-USB 2.0 1 × microSD 1 × micro-SIM |
1 × micro-USB 2.0 1 × 3.5mm headset jack 1 × microSD/micro-SIM 1 × micro-SIM |
1 × micro-USB 2.0 1 × 3.5mm headset jack 1 × microSD/micro-SIM 1 × micro-SIM |
1 × micro-USB 2.0 1 × 3.5mm headset jack 1 × microSD/nano-SIM 1 × nano-SIM |
| cellular | 2G/3G One SIM card in micro-SIM format |
2G/3G/4G |
2G/3G/4G Two SIM cards in micro-SIM format (the second one cannot be installed when using a memory card) |
2G/3G/4G Two SIM cards in micro-SIM format (the second one cannot be installed when using a memory card) |
| Cellular connection 2G | GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz |
| Cellular 3G | HSPA+ (21 Mbps) |
DC-HSPA+ (42 Mbps) WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz |
DC-HSPA+ (42 Mbps) WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100 MHz |
DC-HSPA+ (42 Mbps) WCDMA 850/900/1700/1900/2100 MHz |
| Cellular 4G | No | LTE Cat. 4 (150 Mbit/s) LTE band 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 (2100/1800/2600/900/800 MHz) |
LTE Cat. 4 (150 Mbit/s) LTE band 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 (2100/1800/2600/900/800 MHz) |
LTE Cat. 6 (300 Mbit/s) LTE band 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 40 (2100/1900/1800/1700/850/ 2600/900/700/800/2300 MHz) |
| WiFi | 802.11b/g/n + Wi-Fi Direct | 802.11b/g/n + Wi-Fi Direct | 802.11b/g/n + Wi-Fi Direct | 802.11a/b/g/n + Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.1 |
| NFC | No | Eat | Eat | Eat |
| IR port | No | No | No | No |
| Navigation | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS |
| Sensors | |
Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass) |
Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass) |
Illumination, proximity, accelerometer/gyroscope, magnetometer (digital compass), pedometer |
| Main camera | 8 MP (3264 × 2448), back-illuminated matrix, |
autofocus, LED flash |
13 MP (4160 × 3120), back-illuminated matrix, autofocus, LED flash |
13 MP (4160 × 3120), back-illuminated matrix, autofocus, dual LED flash |
| Front-camera | 5 MP (2592 × 1952), no autofocus | 8 MP (3264 × 2448), no autofocus | ||
| Nutrition | Non-removable battery: 7.6 Wh (2000 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery: 9.35 Wh (2460 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery: 8.36 Wh (2200 mAh, 3.8 V) | Non-removable battery: 10.18 Wh (2680 mAh, 3.8 V) |
| Size | 133 × 65.5 mm Case thickness 6.2 mm | 140 × 69 mm Case thickness 6.5 mm | 143 × 71 mm Case thickness 7.7 mm | 145 × 72 mm Case thickness 6.4 mm |
| Weight | 120 g | 124 g | 131 g | 144 g |
| Water and dust protection | Absent | Absent | Absent | Absent |
| operating system | Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean Emotion UI 1.6 shell |
Android 4.4.2 KitKat Emotion UI 2.3 shell |
Android 5.0 Lollipop Emotion UI 3.1 shell |
Android 5.0 Lollipop Emotion UI 3.1 shell |
| recommended price | 15,990 rubles | 16,990 rubles | 17,990 rubles | Not announced |
Judging by the technical specifications table, Huawei P8 Lite is in many ways inferior to its older brother. It looks like the engineers plucked off a piece (element) from the previous smartphones in the series, seasoned it with a new sauce (body) and served it to the table. The dish is ready, bon appetit! No, really, the combination of hardware is really strange - the smartphone has an HD-resolution display, an eight-core system-on-a-chip and a thirteen-megapixel camera. Let's try to figure out how all this coexists in one mid-price smartphone.
⇡ Appearance and ergonomics
And Huawei marketers with a sense of humor are doing very well! Otherwise, it’s difficult to explain how it was possible to attribute the word Lite (“light”) to the plumpest and one of the heaviest smartphones in the line? Seriously, the body thickness of the P8 Lite is 7.7 millimeters, although the thickness of all Huawei P series gadgets still on sale does not exceed seven millimeters, and the newest ones are rapidly approaching six. The device also weighs noticeably - 131 grams. True, using the P8 Lite with one hand is quite convenient - you don’t get tired of it.
Well, since we started to cut the truth, it’s worth saying that in the case of P8 Lite, the letter P in the name does not need to be deciphered as the pretentious Platinum. Be honest: here it obviously means Plastic. It is noteworthy that the body of the original P8 is made of metal.
The device looks, to be honest, quite standard. There is nothing for the eye to catch on; it does not have any remarkable finishing elements. At the top of the front panel there is a slot for the earpiece and the lens of the front five-megapixel camera, at the bottom there is a rather large empty area. The system navigation keys - “Back”, “Home” and “Menu of open applications” - are touch sensitive, they are located at the bottom of the screen. The thickness of the side frames around the display is standard - neither large nor small.
Along all the narrow edges of the case there is a silver edging, stylized as metal - admittedly, a rather hackneyed solution, because of which the device looks somewhat cheap. Although Huawei P8 Lite is not a cheap smartphone.
We have no comments regarding the ergonomics of the device. The power button and volume keys are on the right side, right under the thumb. The buttons have a short and distinct stroke; They are easy to use by touch. Next to them are slots for a Micro-SIM card and a universal connector for a SIM card or microSD flash drive. At the top end there is a headphone jack.
The Micro-USB 2.0 interface is located at the bottom end. Next to it are the slots for the external speaker. Its location is good - it does not overlap either during operation or when the smartphone is lying on the table.
The surface of the back panel of the device is rough, so it does not slip in your hands. At the top of the “back” there is the lens of the main thirteen-megapixel camera along with an LED flash.
- Case materials: plastic
- Operating system: Google Android 5
- Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, LTE CAT 4
- Processor: 8 cores, Hi-Silicon Kirin 620
- RAM: 2 GB
- Data storage memory: 16 GB
- Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
- Screen: capacitive, IPS 5"" with a resolution of 720x1280 pixels
- Camera: 13/5 MP, flash
- Navigation: GPS, GLONASS
- Additionally: NFC, FM radio
- Battery: non-removable, lithium-ion (Li-Ion) capacity 2200 mAh
- Dimensions: 141x70.6x7.7 mm
- Weight: 131 g
- Price: from 15,000 rubles (RRP – 18,000 rubles) at the end of Q2/2015
Contents of delivery
- Smartphone
- Charger
- USB cable
- Warranty card
- Quick User Guide
Positioning
The device was announced in April of this year, the official announcement in Russia took place just the other day in June. I think it should be clear from the name of the smartphone that the P8 Lite is a slightly simplified version of the flagship Huawei P8.
What has changed compared to the sophisticated P8? The body is no longer metal, it is now completely plastic. The processor is different, there is less RAM, the battery has depleted to 2200 mAh, although the case has become almost 1.5 mm thicker. The four-color RGBW sensor from Sony was removed from the camera (why don’t they themselves use such cool modules?) and optical stabilization. There are other minor changes.
The positioning is very simple: to provide an opportunity to buy a copy of the flagship P8 model with simplified parameters and almost the same appearance at a much lower price. Let me remind you that the older model will cost about 30,000 rubles, and the younger one can already be purchased from 15,000 rubles (RRP – 18,000 rubles).
Design, dimensions, control elements
I won’t be original if I repeat again that Huawei P8 Lite, in terms of appearance, repeats the design of Huawei P8. True, there is one exception: the younger model is made entirely of plastic: the back panel, the top insert on the back of the device and the side edges. The device looks interesting in pictures and photographs, but in real life, unfortunately, not very much. When you pick it up, you feel that the body is made very simply, the plastic is ordinary, nothing special. On the reverse side, the device simultaneously resembles both the iPhone 5 and the ZTE Grand X. In general, the design is not that secondary, but we have already gone through all this. And yet, for a simplified version, P8 still looks good.
The P8 Lite smartphone is available in two colors: white and black. In my subjective opinion, it is better to take a closer look at the white one, since it looks more noble, and there are fewer fingerprints on the plastic insert on the back side. The dark-colored gadget looks a little more primitive. But this is my opinion, I like light-colored devices.
The surface of the rear panel is embossed: transverse grooves reminiscent of roughly polished metal. The edges of the plastic are matte and smooth. There is a silver frame around the perimeter. It is also made of plastic, “pretending” to be metal. But the power and volume buttons don't have to pretend - they really are metal.
In general, the materials are quite practical. During operation, the device remained intact and unharmed: no scratches, no chips, no abrasions. However, I think the back will wear off over time. The build is excellent, no complaints.
The dimensions of the P8 Lite are 141x70.6x7.7 mm, and the device weighs 131 grams. Thin and light, fits comfortably in the hand, does not slip out, but the gadget does not cause a special wow effect.
The front side is protected by glass. The official website does not say what kind of material it is. The P8 definitely uses Gorilla Glass. The surface of the P8 Lite screen has an oleophobic coating, the finger glides smoothly, without jerking. Fingerprints are not too noticeable and erase quickly.
At the top center there is a small slot where the speech speaker is hidden, covered with a black metal mesh. The speaker volume is slightly above average; you can mostly hear the mids and lows, perhaps with a little lack of highs. The timbre is slightly mumbling, the interlocutor can be heard clearly and relatively intelligibly. The proximity sensor did not play around during conversations.
To the right of the speaker is the front camera. On the left is an indicator of missed events. Light and proximity sensors are located nearby.
The buttons are on-screen, under the display there is the inscription “HUAWEI”.
At the bottom there are: a microphone (5 holes on the right), micro-USB and a speakerphone (5 holes on the left).
At the top is a second microphone and a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones. There are no elements on the left side of the device.
The volume rocker key (thin, relatively short, pleasant to use) and the power button (small, slightly extended above the body, with a soft move) are located on the right side.
Just below are two metal slots. A microSIM is installed in the bottom one, and a nanoSIM or microSD memory card is installed in the top one. Nowadays it has become fashionable to do just this: either two SIM cards, or one, but there is a slot for the card.
On the reverse side there is a module recessed into the body and a single-section flash.
Display
This device uses a screen with a diagonal of 5 inches. Physical size – 110.7x62.3 mm, frame on top – 16 mm, bottom – 16.5 mm, right and left – approximately 4 mm. There is an anti-reflective coating that is effective.
The display resolution of Huawei P8 Lite is HD, that is, 1280x720 pixels, aspect ratio is 16:9, density is 293 pixels per inch. IPS matrix without air gap.
The maximum brightness of white color is 190 cd/m2, the maximum brightness of black color is 0.4 cd/m2. Contrast ratio – 474:1.
The white line is the goal we are trying to achieve. The yellow line is the actual screen data. You can see that we are directly on the target curve, meaning that for every value between 0 and 100 the image is bright enough. The yellow line is the actual average amount of red, green and blue.
The average gamma value is 2.13.
Judging by the levels graph, there is a clear excess of blue and a lack of red (at maximum brightness it drops to 80%)
The temperature from 0 to 100 is almost the same - 7500 K.
Judging by the diagram, the data obtained does not quite correspond to the sRGB triangle. It is quite strongly shifted upward to the right.
Viewing angles are average; on the right we will see a more yellow picture, and on the left – purple.
If you don’t go into details, then this is an extremely budget matrix with low brightness, contrast, and color rendition.
Behavior in the sun
Viewing Angles
Settings
Battery
This model uses a non-removable lithium-ion (Li-Ion) battery with a capacity of 2200 mAh. The manufacturer does not provide data on autonomy. Actually, it’s clear why...
Unfortunately, you won’t get outstanding battery life from the Huawei P8 Lite; the manufacturer even artificially reduced the backlight brightness so that the battery drains less. I was able to “use” the gadget from 9:00 to 17:00 with LTE turned on, background processes (mail, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp) and infrequent calls.
Theoretically, you can squeeze out a day of work, but then you will have to switch to 3G and surf the net less.
Communication capabilities
The device works not only in 2G/3G networks (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 900/2100 MHz), but also 4G CAT 4 (FDD: Band 3, 7, 8 20).
LTE and 3G network support both slots. Everything else is typical for any inexpensive Android smartphone: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0 with OTG function, GPS, GLONASS and NFC chip.
Memory and memory card
The developers did not skimp on RAM, so in this model you can find 2 GB of RAM. On average, approximately 1.1 GB is free.
There is 16 GB of internal memory, but only 10 GB is available to the user. There is a slot for a microSD memory card. The maximum volume is 32 GB.
Cameras
The main module is 13 MP (F2.0 aperture, 27 mm angle), the front module is 5 MP (F2.4 aperture, very wide angle 22 mm). It seems to me that there are exactly the same camera modules here as on the Huawei 4X, at least the parameters are the same, the “pattern” of the frame is similar. Perhaps they did a little magic on the software.
Let me remind you that the P8 has a four-color RGBW sensor from Sony and optical stabilization. Having looked at the footage from the older model, I can say that she doesn’t shoot much better than the younger one. Yes, there are small differences: a little sharper, a little nicer colors, a little brighter picture. However, it is almost impossible to determine by eye where the frame is from the P8 and where from the P8 Lite. And that's good for the latter.
Focus is fast, fairly accurate, and white balance is rarely wrong. There are several modes in the settings: selecting the focus point after taking the frame, “successful photo” – selecting the best shot after a series of frames, HDR, “photoshop” (that’s what I called it) – corrects the oval of the face, smoothes out wrinkles, etc.
The front camera shoots well, but in low lighting conditions it makes a terrible noise.
The video is unremarkable: FullHD at 30 frames per second. The image is good, but nothing more.
Sample photos
Performance
Last December, Huawei announced the 64-bit Kirin 620 platform with eight processor cores. The configuration of this solution includes eight Cortex-A53 processor cores (28 nm process technology) with a frequency of up to 1.2 GHz and a Mali-T450 MP4 GPU.
If we talk about the speed of the user interface animation, then there are no problems with it: it is smooth, fast, and there are no microlags.
When it comes to performance in games, things are not so clear. Of course, most games run fine, but there are applications in which the number of frames decreases quite noticeably, and some effects disappear.
Screenshots from games
Brief information and performance tests
