Huawei has finally launched its much awaited and anticipated P9 handset. The smartphone was unveiled by the company on 7th April 2016 in UK. Huawei P9 features a unique dual-camera setup in collaboration with Leica i.e. a German optics enterprise. The working of this dual setup makes the photo-capturing process noteworthy. The handset has been introduced in international markets yesterday.
Huawei has introduced the handset in two variants i.e. P9 and P9 Plus. Though major of specifications of both the variants are same, still there is some slight difference to favor the large size of P9 Plus. Here, we are going to discuss both devices in detail. The details regarding Leica camera setup will be covered at the end of this article.
Huawei P9 handset:
Huawei P9 smartphone comes with a 5.2-inches 1080p IPS display that is lit up by 20 LEDs at the back. This delivers high brightness during sunlight. The company has continued with IPS display as it delivers true and real colors. The handset has got a high quality aluminum body. The look of the device is quite similar to recently released Nexus 6P. A finger sensor has also been added at the back that delivers improved speeds and doubles as a multitasking button.
Huawei P9 handset is powered by the company’s own Kirin 955 chipset. The processor comprises of eight cores, four Cortex-A72 ones clocked at 2.5 GHz and four power-saving Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz. The device has got two RAM options i.e. 3 GB for 32 GB internal storage and 4 GB for 64 GB internal storage. The device has got support for SD card using the second SIM slot. There is a 3,000 mAh battery to power the device. It comes with USB Type-C connector. The handset runs on Android Marshmallow 6.0 with EM UI 4.1 on top.
Here is the complete list of specifications of Huawei P9 handset:
|
Dual SIM |
Yes |
|
Dimensions |
145 x 70.9 x 7 mm |
|
Weight |
144g |
|
Display |
5.2-inches 1080p IPS LCD |
|
Protection |
Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
|
Chipset |
HiSilicon Kirin 955 |
|
Processor |
Quad-core 2.5 GHz Cortex-A72 and Quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex A53 |
|
GPU |
Mali-T880 MP4 |
|
RAM |
3 GB | 4 GB |
|
Primary Camera |
Dual 12 MP (f/2.2, Leica optics, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED) |
|
Front Camera |
8 MP |
| Internal Storage | 32 GB | 64 GB |
| 3G and 4G | Both 3G and LTE supported |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 4.2 | USB Type-C | NFC |
| Operating System | Runs on Android 6.0 with EM UI 4.1 on top |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh |
| Available Colors | Ceramic White, Haze Gold, Rose Gold, Titanium Grey, Mystic Silver, Prestige Gold |
Huawei P9 Plus:
The elder version, P9 Plus, features a 5.5-inches 1080p IPS display. This time, Huawei has added AMOLED display. The design and look of the handset is similar to that of the P9 variant. The fingerprint sensor is positioned at the back. However, Huawei has added a pressure sensor and the knuckle touch. Huawei has termed the technology as ‘Press Touch’. The device has got the same Kirin 955 chipset having eight cores. Unlike the P9 variant, Huawei P9 Plus has got only 4 GB RAM with 64 GB internal storage. There is an increased battery capacity of 3,400 mAh to support the large display size. The device also has got the same USB Type-C connector.
A major highlight of P9 Plus is its dual-speaker setup. One speaker is at the top while the other one at the bottom. If you hold the device in landscape mode, the speakers work in a normal way. However if you hold the device in portrait mode, the top speaker delivers the treble while the bottom one manages the bass.
Here is a complete list of specifications of Huawei P9 Plus:
| Dual SIM | Yes |
| Dimensions | 152.3 x 75.3 x 7 mm |
| Weight | 162g |
| Display | 5.5-inches 1080p Super AMOLED |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass 4 |
| Chipset | HiSilicon Kirin 955 |
| Processor | Quad-core 2.5 GHz Cortex-A72 and Quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex A53 |
| GPU | Mali-T880 MP4 |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Primary Camera | Dual 12 MP (f/2.2, Leica optics, phase detection autofocus, dual-LED) |
| Front Camera | 8 MP |
| Internal Storage | 64 GB |
| 3G and 4G | Both 3G and LTE supported |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | Bluetooth 4.2 | USB Type-C | NFC |
| Operating System | Runs on Android 6.0 with EM UI 4.1 on top |
| Battery | Non-removable Li-Ion 3400 mAh |
| Available Colors | Ceramic White, Haze Gold, Rose Gold, Titanium Grey, Mystic Silver, Prestige Gold |
Working of Huawei P9 Leica Dual-Camera setup:
Huawei P9 flagship is equipped with two camera sensors. The sensor features 12 MP, f/2.2, 27 mm, Leica optics, phase detection autofocus and dual-LED flash lights. Now, here is the interesting point; one of the camera is a traditional one capturing colored pictures using RBG sensor while the other one is a monochromatic camera. The monochromatic lens captures pictures only in black and white. The monochromatic lens performs the best at capturing details of a picture or object. Huawei makes use of combination of pictures from both lens to deliver the best quality results. Several popular photographers including Ayaad Damouni from Capital D Studio and David GuttenFelder of National Geographic were invited by Huawei to test the camera. They were all praise regarding the quality of pictures it produces.
Wrap-Up:
Huawei P9 prices starts from $510, varying depending on your region. It is surely a great phone from Huawei. The unique camera setup makes it worth trying for those who are always keen towards experiencing latest innovations. Let’s see how it performs in the markets. For Pakistani customers, the handset will be making its debut in a month at a price around 55,000 PKR.
Images Source: ArsTechnica
