Huawei’s flagship smartphones had always been focused on photography. And with the unveiling Huawei P60 Pro, it is apparent that the company is doubling down on photography performance instead of hardware.
We have received a review sample of the Huawei P60 Pro ahead of the official launch on 11th May 2023, and here are our thoughts on the new device.
Huawei P60 Pro Specifications
| Model | Huawei P60 Pro |
| Dimensions | 161 x 74.5 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 200g |
| Processor | CPU: Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 4G GPU: Adreno 730 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB (expandable via Nano Memory) |
| Display | 6.67″ LTPO AMOLED 1220 x 2700 pixels 120Hz |
| Camera (Front) | 13 MP, f/2.4 |
| Camera (Rear) | Main Camera: 48 MP, f/1.4-f/4.0,PDAF, Laser AF, OIS Ultrawide Camera: 13 MP, f/2.2 Telephoto Camera: 48 MP, f/2.1, PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom |
| Operating System | EMUI (No GMS) |
| Battery and Charging | 4,815mAh 88W wired charging 50W wireless charging |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6 Bluetooth 5.2 NFC GPS |
| Biometrics | Under display fingerprint reader Face unlock |
What’s In The Box?
- Huawei P60 Pro
- Silicone case
- Charging cable
- 88W Huawei SuperCharge charger
- SIM tray remover
- Documentation
Design
The Huawei P60 Pro comes in two colourways: Rococo Pearl and Black, with the former being the centre of media and public attention ever since it was announced. Our review sample came in Rococo Pearl, with each phone having a distinct pattern at the back.
The P60 Pro is mated with a triple XMAGE camera system located at the top right of the device. One neat detail I like is the Rococo Pearl finish on the camera bump, instead of white plastic.
The power button and volume rockers occupy the right side of the phone, while the SIM tray, charging port and speaker grille are located at the bottom of the phone. At the top, you will find the IR blaster and another speaker grille.
The 6.67-inch display at the front is curved, with a punch-hole style selfie camera occupying the top area.
Ergonomics wise, the device feels good to hold and the weight is balanced. The camera bump is not too thick, making it easy to fit in a pocket.
Display
The 6.67-inch AMOLED display has a resolution of 1220 x 2700 pixels. While peculiar on paper, the resolution sits right between FHD+ and QHD+. In practical terms however, I didn’t notice any difference between QHD+ and 1220 x 2700 pixels unless I am pixel peeping.
You get the choice between normal and vivid colour gamut. I recommend sticking to normal as vivid looks way too saturated to me. 120Hz makes the screen look fluid and smooth too.
Performance
The Huawei P60 Pro is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 4G chipset. Going with this chipset raises two issues. One, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is a last generation chipset, and two, the lack of 5G.
Long story short, Huawei has been banned from obtaining chipsets from the United States (Qualcomm being a US company). However, Qualcomm is licensed to supply the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 4G chipset to Huawei, hence the current predicament.
Regardless, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 is still a potent chipset in 2023. It manages to score 11,638 points on PCMark Work 3.0 performance test, and a respectable 3,887 points on Geekbench 6 Multi-Core.
The Adreno730 GPU is still a capable performer, scoring 5,075 points on Geekbench OpenCL GPU Compute test. In real life gaming environments, it easily breezes through most games like MLBB and PUBG Mobile. On Genshin Impact, I can get more than 50fps on high settings.
EMUI
For global releases, Huawei has opted for EMUI instead of the much talked about HarmonyOS. It is based on Android 12, minus Google services. In its place are Huawei’s own app ecosystem such as Huawei Docs, App Gallery and Petal Maps.
While it can be inconvenient at first, you can still download most apps from third party app stores like APK Pure. Another option would be to sideload GMS using Lighthouse if you really need Google apps like Gmail, Drive or YouTube.
Camera
Huawei placed a lot of emphasis on the XMAGE camera’s performance, and the results are stellar. Images from the main camera are crisp with tons of detail and accurate colour reproduction. I particularly appreciate the variable aperture feature on the main camera as it gives me control over depth of field and exposure without touching the ISO settings.
Night mode is excellent too. Unlike some phone cameras that may overexpose night shots, the P60 Pro handled low light situations very well with a good balance of noise reduction and detail. Dynamic range is excellent even under challenging lighting conditions.
The telephoto works great too, probably on par with the main camera under good lighting conditions. The ultrawide camera is not the best of the bunch, as images tend to look more washed out when compared to the other two.
Video
The Huawei P60 Pro can capture up to 4K60 resolution. The results look detailed and the OIS handles minor shakes and movements really well. However, I wished there are more recording options such as 1080p 120 fps.
Battery Life
The P60 Pro is equipped with a 4,815mAh battery. It is by no means the largest battery capacity among flagships, it is still decent. On PCMark Work 3.0 Battery Test, it managed 16 hours and 18 minutes. Practically speaking, the device has no issues with lasting the entire day with some to spare.
Charging speed is peppy too, as the bundled 88W SuperCharge charger can get the phone to 50% in about 10 minutes. It can also charge to full in around 40 minutes.
Final Verdict
While the Huawei P60 Pro is not a strong value proposition on paper, mainly the lack of 5G and the aging Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, it is still a capable device thanks to a potent and versatile camera system.
It can be argued that most users won’t really notice the performance difference between Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Gen 2, and 5G adoption is still in its infancy here in Malaysia. But at the same time, not everyone needs a full-fledged camera system and would be happier with a more complete package.
Hence, the main determining factor would be the launch price, which only will be revealed on 11th May 2023. Other than that, it will be entirely dependent on how attached you are to Google’s ecosystem.
For more information, please visit the official Huawei P60 Pro product page here.
