Huawei P50 Pro review

Design, build quality, handling

We've known Huawei for building expensive-looking smartphones, and the Huawei P50 Pro is yet another proof of that. We loved it from the moment we took this phone out of its box. Its curves, its thin and lightweight body, its unique Leica setup on the back - the P50 Pro is indeed easily likable and premium-looking.

The Huawei P50 Pro is your typical dual-glass dual-curved smartphone with a thin metal frame and slim profile. The curved panels have been somewhat forced out of fashion by Apple, but we are glad Huawei has chosen this shape again. It has Huawei's DNA all over it - the P50 Pro looks a lot like many P and Mate phones before it, and that's a good thing.

Huawei P40 Pro and P50 Pro

So, the new Huawei P50 Pro is IP68-rated for dust and water resistance. It has a thin aluminum frame and glass panels with symmetrically curved long sides. The frame and the rear glass are made by BYD Electronics. The said glass should be the first high-aluminum lithium glass to be used on a smartphone, co-developed with Huawei. It's supposed to be tougher than regular glass panels, but how tough exactly - we don't know. There is no info on the manufacturer of the front glass.

And while we are speaking about curves, if you've ever handled the P40 Pro, you should know the P50 Pro has steeper edges, and that's why it looks and feels thinner. And it's lighter, too, by 14 grams.

Huawei P40 Pro and P50 Pro

There are two notable changes since the P40 Pro - the much smaller screen perforation and the different camera design on the back. Arguably, the dual-circle setup looks better, it's unique and fits into the whole curvy narrative. It also looks like Wall-E's eyes, but maybe that's just us.

The Huawei P50 Pro is available in Golden Black (ours), Cocoa Gold, Pearl White, and Charm Pink. All four appear to be of uniform colors with a glossy finish. As you can imagine, they are massive fingerprint magnets, and the smudges are not that easy to wipe from our Black model. If you decided on getting the P50 Pro and plan to use it without the protective case, maybe get a brighter model where you can't see these unpleasantries.

Now, let's look at the Huawei P50 Pro from up close.

The 6.6" HDR10+ OLED is the centerpiece of the Huawei P50 Pro, and naturally, it's been improved since the P40 Pro. While its resolution is similar to the P40 Pro's (450ppi), the screen now supports a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate, 10-bit colors, and 300Hz touch sampling rate. Huawei is also advertising it for its improved dimming process with reduced flickering at low brightness.

The most noticeable change since the P40 Pro is the absence of the pill-shaped cutout. The new P50 Pro has just one selfie camera (yay!) though with its new 18mm lens and high-res sensor with PDAF, it actually acts as three (more on that in a bit). Anyway, the P50 Pro has a tiny punch-hole centered around the top, which is much easier on the eyes.

The screen may appear curved, but it's not - that's an illusion coming from the curved glass. It's been done in the past a lot, so that's hardly surprising.

There is no 3D Face Unlock on the P50 Pro - you can probably tell that by the small notch. The P50 Pro relies on one biometric security option, and that's your typical under-display optical fingerprint scanner. It's fast, accurate and reliable. If you plan to use non-Huawei screen protectors, you may want to reconsider as they can mess with its performance.

Above the screen is one super-thin grille - that's where sound is coming during calls. There is a proper speaker below the screen, and it has two sound outlets - one front-facing and another larger one at the top. That's another upgrade since the P40 Pro - the P50 Pro offers stereo speakers - this, and another one at the bottom.

The back is quite the piece - this camera design is available on Huawei (and Honor) phones and nowhere else. And that's why we can consider it pretty unique and an easy tell for which phone you are using. Not only that, but we found ourselves liking it a lot as it's a breath of fresh air across the black terracotta we've been treated with throughout the past few years.

The rear panel is as curved as the front - no more, no less - and we like this symmetry. The Leica camera, together with the Leica insignia, is the showstopper, of course.

The left circle contains the 64MP zoom telephoto with its periscopic lens, the laser emitter and receiver, a microphone for the camcorder, and the dual-LED flash.

The right part has the 50MP primary, the 13MP ultrawide, and the 40MP monochrome cameras.

Both eyes are jutting out of a pill-shaped glass, which is also jutting out a millimeter from the back. In-between the two circles is the multispectral color temperature sensor that will help for accurate white balance and color reproduction.

The aluminum frame is flat around the top and bottom, and incredibly thin (still flat) around the left and right sides. It is glossy as the rest of the P50 Pro, but it's the only piece to provide grip, and surprisingly, often, it is enough. We've managed to do fine with a case-less P50 Pro, but if you are going to shoot a ton of photos on a trip, the case is probably a must.

The short sides are overcrowded, and they are flat enough to allow for the P50 Pro to stand on its own.

The top has two symmetrical microphones on both ends, an IR blaster and four holes acting as the primary outlet for the sound that's coming from the top speaker.

The bottom has the USB-C port, the SIM/NM card tray, the primary mic, and a six-hole grille for the other speaker.

There is nothing on the left side, while the thin volume and power keys are on the right.

Huawei P50 Pro is a great-looking smartphone, luxurious if you will. It is of a solid glass build and feels amazing when handled. Its slim profile and lighter (than the average) weight do boost its likability, though usability isn't ideal, and a case is preferred for most occasions - to keep it clean and for grip purposes.

Overall, the Huawei P50 Pro is a cameraphone with a fashionable design meant to be both a statement and a tool. And it seems to excel in both so far.