Huawei P10 review: The Mini-Mate

Retail package

Huawei P10 comes in a paper retail box with a front that opens like a clamshell. Both sides are magnetic and click nicely together. Our Dazzling Blue Huawei P10 awaits inside, but there is more, of course.

The retail box contains a Huawei charger plug with Super Charge support (high current at low voltage) and a proprietary USB Type-C cable. This cable is compatible with regular USB Type-C ports, so it's not exclusive to the P10, but it has a few extra pins needed for the Super Charge technology by Huawei.

Huawei P10 retail package

There is also an EarPods-like headset and a transparent case. The case is made of plastic, and it snaps tightly onto the P10. Its matte finish takes out some of the 'dazzlingness' of the Dazzling Blue paint job.

Huawei P10's original case

Huawei P10 360-degree spin

The Huawei P10 measures 145.3 x 69.3 x 7 mm - these are almost identical with the P9, just 1.5mm narrower. The P10 has .1" smaller display to account for the difference. It weighs 145g - about the same as the P9.

Design

Huawei does know how to make gorgeous looking and unique smartphones. Just look at its history - the razor-slim (for its time) Ascend P6 with the SIM pin plugged in the audio jack; the Ascend P7 and its dual-glass design; and the P8 with its thin metal chassis and stylish glass strip around the main camera. For the Leica-branded P9, Huawei chose to keep the P8's design but took it to the next level with a 2.5D front glass and thin screen bezels.

Today, Huawei P10 levels up once again, using the P8 design as a starting point, and improving on everything the P9 introduced - the build quality, the finish, and the camera. And is there a better way to spice up the design than by offering it in a variety of colors with the different cut on the metal? Let's begin with that.

Huawei offers the P10 in Ceramic White, Dazzling Blue, Dazzling Gold, Prestige Gold, Graphite Black, Mystic Silver, Rose Gold, and Greenery. The dazzling colors (Blue and Gold) have this hyper-diamond cut finish on the back, which mimics the surface of a vinyl record but coarser. The finish is awesome to look at, but the folks at the office were divided over how its relatively coarse grooves felt. At least, it won't attract any fingerprint smudges, that's for sure. It also seems quite durable.

Huawei P10 in Dazzling Blue • P10 in Dazzling Blue • P10 in Dazzling Gold

The sandblasted options somehow manage to look cheaper than the dazzling (diamond-cut) ones, and you can expect they would be susceptible to accumulating smudges and fingerprints.

P10 in Greenery • P10 in Graphite Black • P10 in Mystic Silver • P10 in Prestige Gold

Finally, there is the Ceramic White model, which is striking with its all-glossy finish, until it gets covered by fingerprint smudges.

Huawei P10 in Ceramic White

And while we are on the color topic, the Greenery and Dazzling Blue hues were chosen from the Pantone Color Institute's exclusive gamma, where Greenery has been chosen as the Color of the Year. You can count on the exclusivity of these two options - there is no other smartphone to use them.

The P10's front is entirely covered by a fancy 2.5D shaped Gorilla Glass 5 piece, and it's gorgeous. The white-painted glass looks just fine, but the black one is striking, and that's a big plus for the Graphite Black paintjob.

Huawei chose rounded shape for the P10's frame, but it also improved the antenna bands. Now the top strip runs above the Leica camera setup, while the bottom one follows the frame and thus neither spoils with the seamless design.

Apple iPhone 7 next to the Huawei P10

On a positive note, Huawei chose to keep the P9's big camera plate, which emphasizes the premium dual lens setup, and that's what makes the P10 stand out. It also makes the P10 instantly recognizable as a Huawei device, which is good.

The Leica camera is an attention grabber

So, the Huawei P10 exterior is both trendy and amazing, even though it looks somewhat familiar. But its build quality and finish are equally excellent.

Handling the P10

Handling the P10 feels great, and our dazzling model is the one we could enjoy playing with every day. The sandblasted options have a different charm - they are more stylish and have less of the industrial vibe - and this makes them equally attractive. Huawei gave us plenty of options, and offering such variety of not only colors but also finishes, is a great move.

Device overview

The 5.1" IPS-NEO screen takes a significant portion of the front, but it's not alone there. Above the screen there is the earpiece, which isn't playing the role of a second speaker this time around. The 8MP selfie camera is close by, as well as a couple of sensors, and a notification LED light.

Below the screen is the new multi-functional Home key. It houses an always-on (and blazing-fast!) fingerprint sensor and supports swiping gestures. While the key isn't clickable, you can still use it as a three-way Android control - hold for Home, tap for Back, swipe for Tasks.

If you don't like this control arrangement, you can opt for the usual on-screen Android navigation from Settings.

Huawei P10 • Huawei P10's front • Above the screen • the new Home key

The volume controls and the power/lock key are on the right, while the ejectable SIM bed is on the left. The P10 uses a hybrid slot, where you can put either two nano SIM cards or a SIM and a microSD expansion card.

The right side • we like the red paint on the power key • the left side • the slot

The secondary mic is alone at the top of the P10. The bottom of the phone has the primary mic, the USB Type-C port, the loudspeaker grille, and the audio jack.

The top of the P10 • the bottom • the audio jack made it (cheers coming from the public)

The Leica Dual Camera 2.0 setup is on the back, emphasized by a glass strip and the appropriate Leica inscription. The dual-tone flash is around, as is the laser sensor for autofocus assistance.

The Leica Dual Camera 2.0 setup