Just in: Huawei P10 Lite hands-on

The Huawei P10 Lite just walked through our door and is already going through our grueling test gauntlet. So we thought we'd share some initial impressions while you guys wait for the full review to go online.

The Huawei P10 Lite comes with a metal-sandwiched-between-glass design where flat lines are complimented by curved edges. We like the curvy Galaxy S8 and S8+ but there's an argument to be made for more conservative, flatter designs too.

The Huawei P10 Lite feels smooth due to its polished front and back glass and yet the metal frame gives it a reassuring, solid grip. It's worth mentioning how compact it feels all while boasting a decent 5.2" 1080p screen. That's even 0.1" bigger than the Huawei P10's display and this is the "Lite" version!

The fingerprint reader has moved back to the rear - right where it was mounted on all 2016 Huawei smartphones. Whether it sits better on the back or on the front below the screen is down to individual preference so we won't pass judgement. At least it's placed in the center, where you'd expect it to be unlike on some recent flagships (we're looking at you Samsung!)

The Huawei P10 Lite feels different to the P10 but not inferior. It may be unable to match its processing power or camera quality, but in the hand the Lite feels just as refined as the normal P10.

The flat glass design is more conservative than the hyper-diamond cut finish or the sandblasted finish of the P10 but it certainly doesn't look like a "lite" version. Even in the subdued Midnight Black color we have at HQ the P10 Lite is a looker.

Moving past the physical description and into software, the Huawei P10 Lite continues to feel premium. The interface is responsive, and while we're yet to test it properly, we don't think the inferior processor has damaged the user experience.

If you've ever used a Huawei smartphone then the P10 Lite will make you feel right at home. If not, then imagine an OS with all of Android's power and a bit of iOS's simplicity.

So, a phone made of quality materials with a subtle but attractive design at around half the price of the Huawei P10 - not a bad place to start. Let's see if the P10 Lite will be able to maintain the positive impressions once all the tests are complete.