Huawei recently surprised us with a new release that comes straight from the "future". This is the Huawei P Smart 2021, a new member of the P Smart family that includes different improvements such as the design, the battery or the photographic section but which, unfortunately, continues to be hampered by the absence of Google services. I have been able to test it during the last days and today I want to tell you my experience of using the Huawei P Smart 2021.
Huawei P Smart 2021, video analysis
Fabulous Design Changes
One of the aspects that we see renewed in this latest member of the P Smart family is design and, also, in various details.
The first changes we detect with the naked eye in its rear. On the one hand, the camera module has been widened to go from 3 to 4 lenses, which we will talk about in a little more detail later. On the other hand, we say goodbye to the fingerprint reader In the back. This does not mean that it disappears, but that it happens to be on the side of the body, integrated into the unlock button. These changes leave a much cleaner and more aesthetic rear that I personally found to be incredibly beautiful and elegant. This rear is available in 3 colors: greenish blue, pink and black.
Other modifications that suit this new Huawei phone incredibly well is the notch farewell on its front. Now we find a much more used screen, with the hole that hides the only front camera of this phone. This chamber is in charge of facial recognition Of the device. An unlocking system that works correctly as well as the fingerprint reader but, despite this, personally I always continue to opt for this second option because of its greater speed.
And we will find few more changes in the aesthetic section. What's more, Huawei has decided to keep old acquaintances like the USB-C for charging and 3.5mm jack at its bottom.
In short, I think that these changes have been a success on the part of the manufacturer, maintaining what its users needed and adding those aspects that make it a current, elegant and striking mobile, without going into eccentricities. I think that, with these modifications, Huawei intends to capture not only those users who want a good phone, but also those who value design within one of the most complicated ranges of smartphones. Gets it? At least in this aspect I think so, but let's see if in the rest of the details it has maintained the bar.
Complies but does not stand out in multimedia
Going a little further into the front of this P Smart 2021, it has a 6,67″ IPS panel, with a maximum resolution of FullHD +. Does this screen sound familiar to you? Exactly, it shares technology and resolution with its predecessor, improving in aspects such as the use of the front and its size.
With this I do not want to underestimate the experience when playing content in the panel. The colors are very correct, the screen looks good both inside and outside the home and we can enjoy watching series and movies with that screen size. But of course, in these times, I would say that something is missing to stand out. Something like a higher screen refreshment or a somewhat higher resolution as other smartphones offer for the same or even a lower price. This would greatly improve the experience when playing media, navigating menus, or playing games. An experience that is just what we are now talking about in depth.
Incumbent commensurate with performance experience
Huawei has been much more conservative with what this phone hides under the screen. we meet at Kirin 710A, an old acquaintance, together with some modest 4 GB of RAM and a 128GB capacity, expandable by cards up to 512 GB.
Being completely honest, I was worried that in terms of the daily use experience this smartphone could fall short when looking at the list of specifications. But, turning my expectations around, it has finally fulfilled very well in all sections.
Moving through the menus, browsing the internet or using it to view Instagram or Twitter is something that he has done without breaking a sweat. Then, when the time came to ask for the maximum, I was surprised that those 4 GB of RAM (which was what worried me the most) They have not burdened the experience to play powerful games at any time. It may be that, in a very specific way, you have noticed a drop in fps but it has been something completely anecdotal.
Of course, as I told you in the multimedia experience section, I have missed a higher refresh rate that would give smoother movements when playing. It's not critical, but it would have made it shine brighter.
Outstanding autonomy
What I do want to highlight before finishing this performance section and moving on to other details, is the big change regarding the internal components of this new P Smart: Battery. We have a 5.000 mAh capacity, compatible with 22,5W fast charge. What does all this translate into, because if you are looking for a phone with outstanding performance in the autonomy section, this may be one of the best options to consider.
It may be due to not having a higher resolution, refraining from a higher refresh rate or good optimization at the software level (we will talk about this in depth now). Be that as it may, getting to the end of the day with this mobile should not be a problem at all and, if you need an extra, the fast charge will give us a 50% in just 30 minutes.
Problems from the past that continue to weigh on you
Reviewing the software section, this Huawei P Smart 2021 has Android 10, on which it runs EMUI version 10.1, the manufacturer's personalization layer. Despite having one of the latest versions of Google's operating system, this smartphone continues to suffer from the same problem as the latest releases from the manufacturer: the lack of the services of the great G.
To alleviate this problem, Huawei includes its service of App Gallery, or Petal Search, among others. In a slightly more elaborate way, we will be able to install WhatsApp, Facebook and many other applications, but services such as location or email via Gmail will still not work. Many users may not care too much, but for others it may be essential.
The experience with the system is not bad in any way. Everything runs smoothly, without lags or slowdowns of any kind. It is true that EMUI is still not the preferred layer for those looking for the pure Android experience, but it cannot be denied that it is getting better and better in terms of design and optimization.
Comment according to the photograph
We now turn to one of the fundamental aspects for many users, the photographic section. Here it is true that we see a significant improvement over the previous releases of the P Smart family. We went on, as I said at the beginning of this analysis, to have 5 cameras total:
- Main sensor 48 mp, with an aperture of f / 1.8.
- wide angle sensor 8 mp, with an aperture of f/2.4 and a viewing angle of 120º.
- Macro sensor 2 mp, with an aperture of f / 2.4.
- Depth sensor (improved portrait mode) of 2 mp, with an aperture of f / 2.4.
- Selfie camera with 8 mp sensor, with an aperture of f / 2.0.
Does this set ring a bell? Exactly, it is the usual pack that we usually see in the camera section of this range of smartphones. A solvent compendium but not perfect. How have these cameras behaved on a day-to-day basis? Well, as usual with these cameras, in the average of other smartphones in the range.
When light conditions are good, the result is very correct. Good colors and definition in the main lens and, in the rest of the lenses, something less. Perhaps the sensor that will offer us the lowest quality will be the macro, but if we place it in good condition it will achieve a correct result.
And when the light goes down, the quality of the photos will also go down. The noise in the image makes an appearance and, despite having a night mode in which we can easily adjust the ISO parameters and the shutter speed, the photos that we will be able to take are exactly the type of captures that we see in phones of this range.
Huawei P Smart 2021: sufficient but not decisive
In short, we are facing a phone in which the changes compared to the previous generation have been very good for it, but certain inherited aspects make it difficult to decide on it. It is important to know that this phone had a market launch price of 229 Euros.
We are in front of a telephone with a very nice and current design, extraordinary battery and good performance. The pictures? Correct, about the average of what phones in this range usually offer, with good photos in ideal light conditions and the typical problems at night. But of course, I have missed something that would stand out in the multimedia section such as a higher refresh rate that would give it that little extra point that, in my opinion, would have been great.
The problem is when we compare it directly with other competitors that are coming strong in the market, such as the Realme 7. In it we find a greater fast charge, the same battery capacity, the same set of cameras and a better refresh rate on the screen. , in addition to the fact that Google services work without problems.
Is it a bad phone? Not at all, but I think it needs to mature a bit in the market and with the lower price with which you can get it now makes it more interesting but, remember, installing Google services (YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, etc.) It is a task that requires spending time and not failing in the attempt.
View offer on AmazonThe Amazon link in this article is part of our agreement with their Affiliate Program and may earn us a small commission from your sale (without affecting the price you pay). Even so, the decision to publish and add it has been made, as always, freely and under editorial criteria, without attending to requests from the brands involved.