The Best Huawei Smartphones Of 2023

Huawei has experienced an enormous diffusion in recent years, going from being one of the many Chinese manufacturers on the market to occupying one of the most critical positions in the world of mobile devices.

In particular, the success of this brand is due to its various lines of smartphones that can effectively cover the mid-range of the market, with some excellent products that are placed on a higher level, in some cases even directly comparable to the maximum range of other competitors.

Huawei has mostly (neck-to-head with Xiaomi) remained the world’s second most popular smartphone maker in recent years, trailing Samsung and beating Apple in sales.

Furthermore, the Chinese giant, as already done by Xiaomi with the low-cost line RedMi, has created its Honor, a brand dependent on Huawei until 2020, with numerous electronic products in its catalog, considerably expanding the already crowded market of cheap notebooks, smart watches, and lower-end smart TVs .

Precisely in the years in which the Honor brand was present, Huawei products have raised the bar about the quality and accessories offered: if at the beginning they were well-built products with suitable components. Still, substantially essential, they began to be competitive with only sometimes affordable prices.

Huawei markets many different models, and navigating through so much variety can be challenging for the consumer. Huawei has also been subjected, together with several other Chinese companies, to a temporary removal from international markets for non-secondary issues regarding privacy and competition: this has dramatically reduced the models available on the Italian market. In the next paragraph, we will see the main product lines in detail, analyzing their salient aspects.

The Huawei Smartphone Series

Unlike other brands, which divide their product lines mainly according to the price range, Huawei has preferred a different approach, creating a series aimed at different needs. In this way, it has guaranteed a vast audience and has been able to meet the preferences of many categories of consumers.

There are currently four series on the Italian market: the Mate series, the P series, the Y series, and the Nova series. As with many other companies, not all series always have all the models in the catalog available. Often, once stocks run out, only the best-selling products or slightly improved versions are re-released on the market.

Mate Series

The smartphones belonging to this line are distinguished by particular attention to the display’s resolution and the processor’s quality, as well as the product’s sturdiness (the latest versions have IP68 certification, which confirms their high resistance to dust and water). These are medium-high-range models oriented toward performance as well as the quality of the cameras.

This series boasts a collaboration with the German Leica, the leader in producing reflex cameras and optics of the highest quality. As with other lines, the Mate series also often offers different variations of the same product: a basic one, a Lite one, with lower technical characteristics and a lower price, and a more expensive Pro, but superior in terms of performance.

P Series

One of the most successful lines ever, the P series was introduced for production and commercial elaboration with all the innovations of the Mate series, which remains the most cutting-edge, much loved by technology fanatics.

Precisely for this reason, the components and general usability of the P series products are decidedly high, and the models are always well-equipped. Also, in this case, we will have the best cameras, and Leica optics and technology will be available on many of these models.

The price of the Huawei Ps varies considerably, covering all price ranges, from €200 to almost €1,400 for flagship products. Also, in this case, Lite and Pro versions are usually put on the market, allowing consumers to choose the solution that best suits their needs. In 2022, the new Huawei P50 model was presented, in the Pro and Pocket versions, the latter being the company’s first foldable (foldable) smartphone and having a clamshell design.

Y Series

The Y series is mainly made up of low-end models and was created with the youngest in mind above all. It does not have advanced features, but it tries to combine an attractive design and discrete performance suitable for those who do not have an exceptionally high budget, with many models under €200. The catalog offers several models, some cheaper and some more performing.

Nova Series

The smartphones of the Nova line settle in a medium price range. Above all, the first models were designed for young users who love gaming and look for good display quality. In Italy, however, this line of products is of secondary importance, and only a few models are included in the official catalog. The Nova series smartphones offer good hardware performance and have become technical reworkings of Honor products.

Features Of Huawei Smartphones

As we have seen, Huawei smartphones occupy all price ranges, from medium-high-end models to other decidedly cheap ones with basic features. To get a more precise idea of the actual specifications among which it is possible to orient yourself within the Huawei catalog, let’s analyze in detail all the main factors to consider when buying a new smartphone from this company.

Operating System And Updates

As for the operating system, Huawei bases all its products on Android but equips them with a proprietary interface called EMUI (or Emotion UI ). This is constantly updated to be in line with the latest Android news and is currently up to EMUI 11.

This proprietary operating system, relatively simple and attractive in graphics, allows you to use a good variety of applications on the internal store called AppGallery. However, it should be noted that most of the applications that users love are not available on this store.

For example, big names like Whatsapp are missing, and Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and all Google apps, including Google Maps, are used by many instead of the navigator. There are methods to install these apps using a computer or particular programs, but the less experienced user will find them taken into account before any purchase.

Display

The vast majority of Huawei smartphones currently available on the market have rather large screen sizes, ranging from 5.6 to 7.2″, with an average diagonal on the various models of around 6.5″, therefore quite significant. Generally, these sizes are suitable both for entertainment and more professional uses, leaving enough space to manage multiple activities easily.

The panel is made either with IPS LCD technology, characterized by good color rendering, high contrast, and a wide viewing angle, or OLED with a 240 Hz refresh rate, present only in the more expensive models.

Some flagship models also have waterfall screens, even too wide on the sides compared to what is necessary, always with decidedly high price points. The resolution ranges from HD+ (1440 x 720 px) up to 2K (3120 x 1440 px): in general, the images are always excellent on the more equipped models, while the LCD panels can guarantee good image quality, with black maybe improvable.

Cameras

This is one of the technical aspects where you can find more variety: the models start at 13 MP for the primary camera, increasing in definition based on price and performance. Almost all models add wide-angle lenses and depth cameras to the body, and components are now mounted on low-end Huawei products.

The more advanced models have upward specifications: think of the Mate 40 Pro, with its 50 MP with f/1.9 aperture, 20 MP wide angle, 12 MP telephoto, digital autofocus, additional depth sensors, and as a certain ease in Shoot in the dark and in low light. As mentioned, for some Mate and P series smartphones, Huawei has also agreed with Leica, equipping its products with high-quality cameras, perfect even for the most passionate users.

The quality of the lenses is a fundamental aspect of the success of a photograph, and often the number of MPs shouldn’t influence us as the only factor for evaluating a good camera. Furthermore, hardware-software optimization gives a good part of the merit of defined and

faithful photos to reality, which allows the full exploitation of the supplied technologies. The partnership with Leica has given the company excellent results, and the quality of the photos is of a good standard.

Hardware

As for the hardware characteristics of Huawei smartphones, these align with most of the competition. The company uses a native microprocessor, the Kirin, which starts from the basic model, the Kirin 980 Octa-core, up to the most potent version, the Kirin 9000 5G SoC. The processors have clock rates ranging from 1.8 to 3.13 GHz, which are high numbers.

The RAM is generally high, starting from 3 to 6 GB even for models that cost only €100, and goes up to 8 GB for the most efficient models. On the other hand, the storage capacity (ROM) ranges from 128 to 256 GB, continuously expandable with Micro SD cards.

Battery autonomy can also vary significantly. It must be remembered that models capable of supporting a more significant number of functions require higher energy consumption. Hence, a more powerful battery only sometimes ensures more substantial hours of autonomy.

Connectivity

Connections, both wired and wireless, are standard in the vast majority of models on the market. Bluetooth up to 5.2 for the most equipped models, Wi-Fi 6, and GPS are now prepared in almost all smartphones, with relatively small variations in performance.

5G is available on new mid-range models and up, usually clearly indicated in the model number. It should be noted that the 4G network will continue to be available in European territory. Moreover, almost all Huawei devices in the catalog already use 4G LTE technology, which guarantees an excellent connection to the network.

The systems NFC, to pay easily using your phone, are available on all mid-range and high-end models. Wired connections are usually limited to a USB-C port for charging and sometimes a headphone jack on simpler models. As for the possibility of taking advantage of the Dual SIM function, many models are available both in this version and as Single SIM, leaving the choice up to the individual user. Some devices also have ROM storage expansion available.

Sustainability

In January 2022, Huawei was listed as the second most sustainable Chinese company after a comparison with 500 other companies examined by the Hurun Research Institute in Shanghai.

Huawei’s Biggest Competitors

The mobile device market is increasingly competitive and Huawei, although it is relocating to the international market, continues to sell many quality products. In short, we see similar brands on which to focus:

Xiaomi: Huawei’s ideal competitor is another Chinese giant that has established itself in global markets in just a few years. Its products are of directly comparable quality to Huawei’s, with slightly lower prices. Xiaomi has also differentiated its brand by creating the low-cost Redmi and offers many different models every season, among which it is easy to get lost;
Samsung: Huawei’s biggest competitor because it is still the only one to occupy a larger market share and uses the same operating system, placing it in direct competition with the Chinese brand. Samsung certainly has an advantage dictated by its top-of-the-range products, a range on which Huawei has recovered worthily over the years. It also offers many products at competitive prices. For all smartphones that are placed on an economic and medium-high range, the balance is leaning more and more against the Korean giant;
Apple represents an indirect competitor since it uses an entirely different proprietary operating system from Android. Still, Apple continues to be a severe contender, thanks to the continued improvement of iPhones and a loyal user base that appears to remain robust. Also, in this case, the type of product marketed is quite different: the latest iPhones are generally placed in a high price range, with individual alternatives in the catalog, introduced recently, at a lower cost. In addition, the Apple catalog has a few models, all of which are successful among the public.

The most frequently asked questions about Huawei smartphones.

Are Huawei Smartphones Suitable For Photography?

As we have pointed out in the previous paragraphs, some Huawei smartphone models are designed explicitly to guarantee excellent image quality. In particular, all the Mate series and P series models focus precisely on this aspect, taking advantage of high-level cameras and sensors. However, this does not mean that smartphones of other series, particularly those of the medium-high range, can ensure more than adequate performance to satisfy the average user.

The Huawei catalog will provide an acceptable solution depending on your preferences and specific needs. The cameras in current smartphones are all of excellent quality, given the technological advancement. So if you are not a true photography enthusiast, you can quickly orient yourself toward any Huawei product. One model that we recommend is the Huawei Mate 40 Pro.

Are There Any Differences Between Huawei And Honor?

Many users can be confused by purchasing an Honor branded smartphone, seeing that the proprietary interface used is that of Huawei. Marketed with a proprietary logo, different lines, and names, Honor was, until 2020, a brand belonging to Huawei, generally intended for cheaper products.

Honor Huawei smartphones were usually excellent value for money, offering decidedly exciting features from the point of view of the hardware components, even if with some compromises from the point of view of design, less refined than the corresponding models marketed under the Huawei brand. The company was, in fact, the same as the components used and the Android interface, but some differences between the models of the two brands must be taken into account.

Are There Huawei Smartphones With A Stylus?

Quick answer: no. Those looking for a smartphone equipped with a stylus typically have needs that cannot be satisfied by regular pens compatible with any touchscreen, available for a few Euros in practically any electronics store.

The Chinese company has its official pen in its catalog, designed for tablets, namely the Huawei M-Pen, capable of supporting up to 4096 levels of pressure, which we consider a cell intended for graphics and ornate design. The only smartphone that can be connected with this accessory is the Huawei Mate 20 X, a high-end product with a decidedly large screen designed to compete with the best smartphones of the competition, especially Samsung.

This model, reproduced several times on the market with the same name, is only sometimes available in Italy. We are waiting to see the future evolution of the company and its commercial path in Europe and India to understand if other models will be added to the list.

Do Huawei Smartphones Have Google Services?

Quick answer: no. The smartphones of the Chinese giant do not have good commercial relations with Google, and none of the apps belonging to Google are available on Huawei’s native store, App Gallery. This means there is no access to the Google Play Store, cutting us off from all the millions of apps from other companies on that portal.

Also, you cannot use Gmail, Chrome, Google Maps, and any programs from the Google suite, such as Google Sheets or Google Docs, widely used in the professional field in recent years. It will still be possible to access Google and its services from the browser on EMUI, but without using the apps’ notifications or advantages.

Additionally, the apps featured on the App Gallery are minimal for Western audiences, lacking WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram. Also, in this case, you can access the last two via browser, but you will not have notifications on the screen, while WhatsApp cannot be used if not installed. One solution is to download these apps manually from the internet or upload them to your phone via USB.

Relatively simple as these maneuvers may be, they do not guarantee accurate operation or privacy protection in future updates. Still, they could create slowdowns and problems in the event of a malfunction or if the guarantee has to be activated. Therefore, we advise you to be very careful before installing unauthorized programs on your device.

Are There Any Huawei Smartphones With Android?

The EMUI operating system, a short version of “Emotion User Interface,” was built and programmed on Android. Android’s OS structure is installed on your phone, but the graphics and features are EMUI. Although Android is present on Huawei smartphones, it cannot be used by the user.

Any ways to change the operating system are unknown to us and would completely void the warranty, so we cannot advise you. Furthermore, consider the product as it is right out of the box and spend only a little bit of time, energy, and tribulations to get it the way you want. For this reason, we recommend Huawei products to an audience that uses the phone without paying too much attention to additional apps.

Better A Huawei Or Xiaomi Smartphone?

The two companies have a decidedly similar range of products and prices, and it would not be easy to evaluate precisely all the rich product lines of these two brands. As a guide, however, we can say that Xiaomi focuses a lot on medium and medium-high-range products.

while Huawei has brought many high-quality products to the market over the years, the so-called flagships which then completely transformed the market for Chinese phones in the world, which at first they were seen as budget products, to become high-end devices.

Therefore, the price increase transformed the company entirely and put it in direct competition with Xiaomi and Samsung, which has been a leader in the industry for years. Before understanding Huawei’s future in our country, recent political developments regarding the company’s presence in international markets should be carefully observed and evaluated.

Huawei products are among the best in the world, both in terms of performance and quality, with many top-of-the-range and low-cost products that are also very popular with the Indian public.