SMARTPHONE REVIEW: HUAWEI P50 Pro – A Legend Reborn

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At last! The long wait is over for all ye HUAWEI fans!

The HUAWEI P50 Pro has finally landed on Philippine shores and I’m fortunate to be one of the 1st testers.

If you’re into mobile photography, then the HUAWEI P Series needs very little introduction since it has established a solid reputation for many years. The HUAWEI P Series has been a game-changer since it was introduced to the market years ago and I’d have to admit that since I used the HUAWEI P Series, I already gave up my DSLR and mirrorless cameras since my HUAWEI smartphone provided me with almost the same high-resolution images but with way less weight and hassle.

For the latest HUAWEI P Series, of course, I expect nothing but another set of jaw-dropping features that will rekindle my love for photography. The P Series has always been about the camera and is intended for users who love to create and have an appreciation for visual arts.

The HUAWEI P50 Series boasts of having the True Form Dual-Matrix Camera  and the Iconic Dual-Matrix Camera Design — key features which we will know more about later because I’d like to give you a quick preview of its overall specs first:

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BEAUTY REBORN

Technological aesthetics and smart photography is the driving force behind the legendary HUAWEI P Series. From the P9 Series up to P50, HUAWEI has always been consistently coming up with meaningful innovations that’s why HUAWEI loyalists always look forward to what’s next. The HUAWEI P50 Pro is truly A LEGEND REBORN with its perfect blend of form and function. I love this new Cocoa Gold color and how it looked elegantly out of this world. Whenever I use it in public, I noticed people would make a 2nd look coz it’s such an eye candy.

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Pro tip: It is wise to always use its free jelly case as it tends to easily slide off your hands and fingerprints tend to stick on its  surface.

 

Its True-Form Dual-Matrix camera system has a double ring set up that is visually striking and instantly recognizable, while incorporating the most advanced smartphone camera hardware.

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It’s super sexy, mesmerizing, lightweight with a large display yet comfortable to hold in your hand. It has a 6.6-inch display, with an overall thickness of 8.5mm, 4,360mAh battery, and a weight of about 195g. With an IP68 rating, you can be sure your P50 pro will be protected from the elements when out and about.

A Closer Look at the True-Form Dual-Matrix camera:

The HUAWEI P50 Pro’s redesigned True-Form Dual Matrix Camera comprises the powerful Main Camera Matrix and SuperZoom Matrix. The hardware is integrated with the HUAWEI XD Optics and HUAWEI XD Fusion Pro image engine, resulting in images that are brighter, with more light taken in, cleaner, and more sharp.

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Its Front Camera has a 100-degree ultra-wide-angle True Chroma Selfie Camera System that is perfect for large group selfies and picturesque landscapes. It also has a 14cm Auto Focus support to ensure that selfies are intimate, sharp, and highly detailed.

The Back Camera on the other hand, features Colour and Monochrome True-Chroma Cameras on the Main Camera Matrix that works together to take in 103% more light to ensure clarity of pictures.

The Main Camera Matrix also has an Ultra Wide-Angle Lens for landscapes, skyscrapers to the most expansive vistas. It can also produce ultra-macro shots for capturing images of objects as close as just 2.5cm from the lens.

The True-Form Dual-Matrix Camera supports a zoom range of up to 200 times. All-new hardware and software solutions vastly improve zoom stabilization.

Aside from a powerful set of lenses and sensors HUAWEI’s is combined with the 1st ever HUAWEI XD Optics acts as a bridge that connects the real world with the imaging system, and the imaging system with the background processing algorithms. With these two combined, images are sharp and fully life-like. .

To truly appreciate the True-Form Dual-Matrix Camera and HUAWEI XD Optics let me show you some of the shots I made so far. I didn’t use any filter on these so you can truly appreciate how amazing the P50 Pro is:

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Flowers. Outdoor shot

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Ultra Macro

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Indoor. Ultra Macro. Food shot

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Night Mode

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Still Life. Indoor

 

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Outdoor Evening. 1x Zoom

 

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Outdoor Evening. 3.5x Zoom

 

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Outdoor Evening. 10x Zoom

 

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Selfie using the True Chroma Selfie Camera System

As for videos, as expected, the HUAWEI P50 Pro excels just as much since the True-Form Dual-Matrix Camera supports 4K video recording on both the front and rear, allowing for crystal clear footage from every angle. Glad to know that Dual-View Video mode now supports HD video recording on both the front camera and rear ultra wide-angle camera. This means the subject and the person behind the camera can be in the frame together, giving a complete picture of your setting.

When I tested its video capabilities, I was impressed with the clips since the colors looked very realistic now compared to the previous P Series phones. Before, I remember having a slight issue since the colors tend to be too warm. But now, the saturations and color temperatures seem more balanced even on low light scenarios. I just noticed though that the unit heats up easily when you use video mode.

Battery Life and Performance

I was a bit surprised to see that the P50 Pro only has 4,360mAh but later on, I realized it made sense because the body is really light and slim. Also, I don’t think there will be an issue with battery performance since HUAWEI has already mastered creating power-efficient smartphones built for heavy use. Also, charging will never be an issue since it includes a 66W HUAWEI SUPERCHARGE.

Please do check out the FAST CHARGE CHALLENGE that I’ll be posting on our Facebook Page soon.

How about the Apps?

Of course, our top local apps can be found and used in your HUAWEI P50 Pro like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Grab, GCash, PayMaya etc. All these and more can be downloaded at the AppGallery.

Emails? Yes! They have a default email app where you can easily link your Gmail to receive emails. EASY!

FYI, since before 2020, HUAWEI has already invested a lot of time and resources to develop their very own AppGallery that’s why it took them super quick to make our favorite apps available to use.

As for the pre-order dates and price, we still have to wait for HUAWEI’s official announcement, but this will definitely be available on their HUAWEI Store, LAZADA, SHOPEE flagship stores, and physical HUAWEI Experience stores around the metro. Stay tuned further announcements.