Just a few short weeks ago, I took delivery of a device I’ve had my beady eye on since it was launched. The P20 pro had already caught my eye back in the summer, but having played around with one for a short time, I wasn’t inclined to swap it for my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (my daily driver at the time). But as times change, and hardware improves, and opinions soften, and the constant media attention of ‘improved’ technology got the better of me…
The Huawei Mate 20 pro is somewhat of an incongruent mix of amazing, and down-right annoying. The amazing, stand-out feature has to be its most benign. If you’re reading this, then you’ve no-doubt already clocked the superb battery. I’ve not actually ever been able to use a device quite as indiscriminately as this one. Try as I may, regardless of how I abuse this phone, I’ve never been in a position of having to charge the phone before I go to bed.
On the flip side, its most annoying (although there are a number of ‘features’ jockeying for first place here) has to be the software experience. EMUI, as has been documented (lamented?) any number of times in the past as not being something of an /experience/, but more of something you endure.
The Camera is the most duplicitous imaging device I’ve had the (dis)pleasure of using since the LG G2 (or maybe the Nexus 4?). The camera is stunning. The camera is poor. Take your pick, either / both are true. This is the Schrodinger cat of camera phones. Until you press that shutter button, there are two photos. Once which is amazing and another that is just not good.
Perhaps I’m over-egging this somewhat. Perhaps my opinion is being exacerbated by the frustrating nature of the camera (and the device as a whole?).
Would I buy this phone again? Maybe.
Get the phone here (it really /is/ good – ignore the frustrated, late-night ramblings of yet another random tech-reviewer…)
