Huawei Y6p Review - Triple-cam on a budget in style
Late last month, Huawei released a PHP 5,990 smartphone with an attractive design and fairly aggressive specs, the Y6p.
In our unboxing and first impressions article, we mentioned that it is one of the most attractive smartphones in its class due to its good balance between design and performance.
It is also one of the most affordable with a triple-cam and 5,000mAh battery in town.
Now, here's our full review. Read on to see if this is the budget smartphone that you are looking for.
Coming from the Y6s with a 6.08-inch display, the Y6p now sports a larger 6.3-inch TFT LCD (IPS) screen. The resolution may look similar at HD+, but it is taller at 1600 x 720 or 20:9 aspect ratio.
Since it is not using a full HD panel like most smartphones found at this price point, don't expect it to be extra crisp in detail at just 278 ppi.
Fortunately, the panel that Huawei used is not bad. There's nothing special about the quality of its screen, but at least it renders colors nicely. It is not too warm or too cold.
Brightness levels are reasonably strong to make it usable for outdoor use as well. But, colors won't be that punchy anymore. There's a bit of glare as well.
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| Huawei Y6p review |
In our unboxing and first impressions article, we mentioned that it is one of the most attractive smartphones in its class due to its good balance between design and performance.
It is also one of the most affordable with a triple-cam and 5,000mAh battery in town.
Now, here's our full review. Read on to see if this is the budget smartphone that you are looking for.
Multimedia Experience
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| Big display |
Coming from the Y6s with a 6.08-inch display, the Y6p now sports a larger 6.3-inch TFT LCD (IPS) screen. The resolution may look similar at HD+, but it is taller at 1600 x 720 or 20:9 aspect ratio.
Since it is not using a full HD panel like most smartphones found at this price point, don't expect it to be extra crisp in detail at just 278 ppi.
A good enough display!
Fortunately, the panel that Huawei used is not bad. There's nothing special about the quality of its screen, but at least it renders colors nicely. It is not too warm or too cold.
Brightness levels are reasonably strong to make it usable for outdoor use as well. But, colors won't be that punchy anymore. There's a bit of glare as well.
Also, thanks to its 88.4 percent screen-to-body ratio and tall 20:9 aspect ratio, its screen is considered as immersive enough for watching movies and a few games for the price.
Don't expect it to be great, but again, the display is decent.
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| Screen settings |
Its screen also has the Eye Comfort mode, Color temperature adjustment, and 10 points of touch for better typing and swiping experience.
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| Strong speaker to let you enjoy your viewing experience better |
If you don't like the notch, you can hide it in the display settings. It will just have a big black bar that looks like a thick bezel.
One of the key highlights of this smartphone is its single down-firing speaker. It has a loud, crisp, and full sounding speaker for the price. It even has some bass response which is commonly lacking in budget phones and even some mid-range phones. I'm not saying that it is perfect, but it is really good for a budget smartphone.
The speaker will sound good up to 80 percent loudness. At 100 percent, the sound will be muffled and a bit distorted.
This device also sports a 3.5mm headphone slot that delivers rich tunes (a bit bassy) as well. Usually, around 50 to 60 percent of loudness would be enough to properly drive basic earphones and smaller headphones.
Even for Bluetooth headphones, audio transmission is decent.
Huawei also boasts the Histen sound effects where you can access the 3D audio effects to artificially enhance the soundstage. It also has an option to select Natural audio reproduction and Standard with Equalizer mode.
For calls, the has a standard earspeaker that is fairly loud. For microphones, it has a dual-mic setup, but don't expect it to cancel outside noise that well. Its recording quality is average for the price.
Camera
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| 3 cameras for less |
As mentioned, it is one of the most affordable phones with a triple-camera setup in town. At the back, it sports a 13MP f/1.8 main shooter with autofocus paired with a 5MP f/2.2 120-degree ultra-wide cam and a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor.
Triple-cam with ultra-wide mode on a budget!
What makes it even more impressive is the inclusion of the 5MP f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle camera. If my memory serves me right, it is the only phone in its class with such type of camera sensor to let you enjoy taking wide shots of sceneries and more.
Below the vertically aligned triple-cam, you'll see a single LED flash that should be helpful in taking photos in the dark.
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| EMUI 10 camera interface on budget phones |
The camera interface is basic. It has the usual Photo, Beauty (10-level face beauty), Aperture (adjustable even after taking the shot), HDR, Panorama, and Pro mode.
The Pro mode has up to ISO 3200, EV (+-4), 1/4000 to 8s shutter, manual focus, and adjustable white balance.
Rear Camera Samples
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| Daylight 1 |
As long as you are in a well-lit situation, autofocus speed is fast and accurate. In daylight, details are mostly crisp as well. I also like that the main shooter has a fairly wide dynamic range and vibrant/warm colors. Noise is present, but that's acceptable on budget camera phones.
The phone didn't overexpose my shots in gloomier situations, but I would have loved it better if it has a slightly brighter exposure.
Despite only using a 5MP camera, this phone has a decent wide cam with close colors to the primary camera. It has some barrel distortion, but not as fish-eye as other ultra-wide cams. For me, that is a good thing.
The 3rd camera of the Y6p is for depth effect. Edge detection is respectable for sub-PHP 10K smartphones. It blurs the background nicely, edges aren't just as natural compared to the blur effect of higher-end smartphones.
The bottom line, as long as you have proper light, you'll get good quality images for both the main and wide cam.
In scenarios with artificial lighting, the main cam still performed reasonably well. The secondary cam will struggle a little. Shots will be duller and colors won't be as punchy and warm as the main cam.
As mentioned, the main cam can perform nicely even for indoor shots. Even at 100 percent crop, details are still considered as crisp.
In low light, images will be grainy using the main cam. But at least, details are still decent and it didn't suffer from desaturation unlike most budget camera phones when taking images at night.
The wide cam at night has fewer details and desaturated colors. This is normal on phones found in the sub-PHP 6K range without Night mode.
Sadly, there's no AIS Super Night Mode for both the main cam and wide cam.
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| Outdoor gloomy |
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| Outdoor gloomy wide |
The phone didn't overexpose my shots in gloomier situations, but I would have loved it better if it has a slightly brighter exposure.
Despite only using a 5MP camera, this phone has a decent wide cam with close colors to the primary camera. It has some barrel distortion, but not as fish-eye as other ultra-wide cams. For me, that is a good thing.
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| Portrait mode on our dog Max |
The 3rd camera of the Y6p is for depth effect. Edge detection is respectable for sub-PHP 10K smartphones. It blurs the background nicely, edges aren't just as natural compared to the blur effect of higher-end smartphones.
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| Indoor close-up and wide |
The bottom line, as long as you have proper light, you'll get good quality images for both the main and wide cam.
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| Indoor main cam |
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| Indoor wide |
In scenarios with artificial lighting, the main cam still performed reasonably well. The secondary cam will struggle a little. Shots will be duller and colors won't be as punchy and warm as the main cam.
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| Main cam (default) vs main cam (100 percent cropped) |
As mentioned, the main cam can perform nicely even for indoor shots. Even at 100 percent crop, details are still considered as crisp.
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| Main cam low light |
In low light, images will be grainy using the main cam. But at least, details are still decent and it didn't suffer from desaturation unlike most budget camera phones when taking images at night.
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| Ultra-wide low light |
The wide cam at night has fewer details and desaturated colors. This is normal on phones found in the sub-PHP 6K range without Night mode.
Sadly, there's no AIS Super Night Mode for both the main cam and wide cam.
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| Selfie cam UI |
In front, the Y6p retained the 8MP f/2.0 selfie camera found on the Y6 Pro and Y6s. It still has the Beauty (10-level face beauty) and screen flash. The selfie camera UI is a bit limited as it doesn't even have a Portrait mode and filters.
This selfie cam is not as narrow versus other budget selfie cams. There's still no AF, but there's a tap for focus function. Photo saving time is reasonable at around half a second.
In daylight, you'll get good results with crisp details and good on-the-warm-side colors. Contrast and shadows are on the decent side. I like that exposure is well controlled as well.
For indoor selfies, the output will be mostly natural-looking as well. Even if you turn on the Beauty mode at level 3, it didn't oversoften my skin in this scenario as well.
However, it has inconsistencies. There are times where it'll aggressively beautify your skin and produce cooler tones even if the Beauty mode is turned off. See the selfie UI screenshot above.
In low light, it will struggle. That's why Huawei added a screen flash to somehow make your selfies usable in the dark. But still, don't expect too much.
For videos, the main cam, wide cam, and selfie cam can all record at 1080p at 30fps.
The main cam has the most details. But, I'm still glad that it has an ultra-wide cam video mode even if it packs lesser details and dimmer exposure.
The selfie cam is not too cropped and that's nice. It produces decent sharpness and vibrant enough colors as well.
All 3 cams don't have stabilization. So, it'll be better if you have steady hands. For some reason, the selfie cam video is the "most stabilized" of the 3.
But unlike other Huawei smartphones, it doesn't have a 720p 30fps Beauty mode for selfie videos.
Upon release, it is cheaper by PHP 1K than the Y6s late last year. That's why it is understandable that Huawei used the lower-end 12nm Helio P22 octa-core processor instead of Helio P35.
The difference between P22 and P35 in terms of performance is minimal, but I would have still liked it better if it used P35 instead.
The actual performance is decent. It works well for most of the tasks, especially social media, messaging, and call apps. There's a just bit of delay while navigating from an app to another which is understandable for a phone priced this low.
Thanks to its large 4GB RAM that is bigger than most competing phones. Also, it has large 64GB storage unlike most budget phones with only 32GB.
The Y6p can run a few heavy games like Call of Duty: Mobile at low settings with high frame rate and Depth of Field.
However, Huawei should also take note of the competition. There are now phones with speedier chips for an even better gaming experience such as the Helio G80 found in this price range.
Also, expect frame drops when the phone gets warm.
Fortunately, it only tens to get warm, not hot. It has decent overall thermals. It would still be better if you play games in a cool room.
Similar to most phones, it has GameCenter found on Settings then AppAssistant of the phone.
The advantage of this is it can optimize system settings using "Game Acceleration" for better gaming in exchange for consuming more power quickly and a little bit more heat. It can also be used for Uninterrupted Gaming. it also has Mistouch prevention and Disable three-finger screenshot to let you focus your game better.
The biggest upgrade of this phone coming from the Y6s and Y6 Pro is the battery capacity. Instead of using the old 3,020mAh power cell, the Y6p now loads with the massive 5,000mAh battery capacity.
Using its default settings with no SIM card, we recorded a total of 21 hours and 10 minutes on our video looping test. As my phone with SIM card for social media usage and work as well as playing occasional games and taking a few images, it lasted a whole day with 30 percent left in the tank.
In terms of charging, it took us 2 hours and 40 minutes from 0 to 100 percent using the default 5V/2A charger via micro USB port. This phone also has a reverse charging feature AKA power bank mode.
For connectivity and calls, we didn't encounter any major problems. WiFi is not dual-band, but it works well. LTE connectivity is respectable. It even has the new 700MHz band for better indoor signal reception. If the signal of your provider in your area is bad, that's not the problem of the phone anymore.
This device also has Bluetooth 5.0, Wireless FM Radio, and the GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou.
For biometrics, it uses a traditional fingerprint reader at the back. It is snappy and accurate most of the time. The face unlock is also very fast, but it only works well in daylight. It struggles in low light even if you turn on the option for low light compensation.
For software, the handset runs with Android 10 OS with EMUI 10.1 skin. It's the latest version of Huawei's improved Android skin. As mentioned in our previous reviews, it is intuitive, easy to use, and neat-looking. It also has smooth transitions, animation effects, and gestures as well as the Dark mode.
It also has the Phone Clone feature that can let you easily and quickly transfer your messages, calls, apps from other phones.
But, unlike other higher-end phones with EMUI 10.1, it doesn't have the Huawei MeeTime video call, option for multiple users, Huawei Assistant, and App Twin.
Since it has no Google Mobile Services, the Y6p is loaded with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) with the AppGallery. AppGallery is the new place on Huawei devices where you can explore the apps you want.
AppGallery is also evolving quickly as it now has plenty of local apps and even banking apps and entertainment apps. In particular, I used it to install GCash, PayMaya, Metrobank, BDO, and Viu. It also has social media apps and a lot of communication apps like TikTok, WeChat, Viber, Snapchat, Zoom meetings, and more.
Facebook and Instagram are not directly available on the AppGallery yet, but there is a link when you search it via AppGallery that will point you to the download page of Facebook. After that, you can download the app.
Also, you can download AppGo on the AppGallery that will point you to places where you can find apps that are not in the AppGallery yet.
If you want to use Gmail, Huawei has its own Email app where you can log in to your Gmail account. Some Google Apps that are not working are mostly Browser-based. So, you can just create a shortcut using the "Add to home screen" option of the Huawei Browser.
However, unlike other HMS Huawei phones, the Y6p is not compatible with some of the apps I use. We weren't able to install benchmark apps and some games like the Mobile Legends and PUBG Mobile.
I hope that an update can fix some of these issues soon. Huawei said that eventually, more apps will be added to the AppGallery.
Selfie Camera Samples
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| Daylight selfie |
This selfie cam is not as narrow versus other budget selfie cams. There's still no AF, but there's a tap for focus function. Photo saving time is reasonable at around half a second.
In daylight, you'll get good results with crisp details and good on-the-warm-side colors. Contrast and shadows are on the decent side. I like that exposure is well controlled as well.
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| Selfie with Beauty level 3 |
For indoor selfies, the output will be mostly natural-looking as well. Even if you turn on the Beauty mode at level 3, it didn't oversoften my skin in this scenario as well.
However, it has inconsistencies. There are times where it'll aggressively beautify your skin and produce cooler tones even if the Beauty mode is turned off. See the selfie UI screenshot above.
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| Low light selfie vs low light selfie with screen flash |
In low light, it will struggle. That's why Huawei added a screen flash to somehow make your selfies usable in the dark. But still, don't expect too much.
For videos, the main cam, wide cam, and selfie cam can all record at 1080p at 30fps.
The main cam has the most details. But, I'm still glad that it has an ultra-wide cam video mode even if it packs lesser details and dimmer exposure.
The selfie cam is not too cropped and that's nice. It produces decent sharpness and vibrant enough colors as well.
All 3 cams don't have stabilization. So, it'll be better if you have steady hands. For some reason, the selfie cam video is the "most stabilized" of the 3.
But unlike other Huawei smartphones, it doesn't have a 720p 30fps Beauty mode for selfie videos.
Video Samples
Performance
In terms of specs, the Y6p is competitive, but with ups and downs.Upon release, it is cheaper by PHP 1K than the Y6s late last year. That's why it is understandable that Huawei used the lower-end 12nm Helio P22 octa-core processor instead of Helio P35.
The difference between P22 and P35 in terms of performance is minimal, but I would have still liked it better if it used P35 instead.
The actual performance is decent. It works well for most of the tasks, especially social media, messaging, and call apps. There's a just bit of delay while navigating from an app to another which is understandable for a phone priced this low.
Large RAM and storage on a budget!
Thanks to its large 4GB RAM that is bigger than most competing phones. Also, it has large 64GB storage unlike most budget phones with only 32GB.
The Y6p can run a few heavy games like Call of Duty: Mobile at low settings with high frame rate and Depth of Field.
However, Huawei should also take note of the competition. There are now phones with speedier chips for an even better gaming experience such as the Helio G80 found in this price range.
Also, expect frame drops when the phone gets warm.
Fortunately, it only tens to get warm, not hot. It has decent overall thermals. It would still be better if you play games in a cool room.
 |
| GameCenter |
Similar to most phones, it has GameCenter found on Settings then AppAssistant of the phone.
The advantage of this is it can optimize system settings using "Game Acceleration" for better gaming in exchange for consuming more power quickly and a little bit more heat. It can also be used for Uninterrupted Gaming. it also has Mistouch prevention and Disable three-finger screenshot to let you focus your game better.
The biggest upgrade of this phone coming from the Y6s and Y6 Pro is the battery capacity. Instead of using the old 3,020mAh power cell, the Y6p now loads with the massive 5,000mAh battery capacity.
Using its default settings with no SIM card, we recorded a total of 21 hours and 10 minutes on our video looping test. As my phone with SIM card for social media usage and work as well as playing occasional games and taking a few images, it lasted a whole day with 30 percent left in the tank.
In terms of charging, it took us 2 hours and 40 minutes from 0 to 100 percent using the default 5V/2A charger via micro USB port. This phone also has a reverse charging feature AKA power bank mode.
For connectivity and calls, we didn't encounter any major problems. WiFi is not dual-band, but it works well. LTE connectivity is respectable. It even has the new 700MHz band for better indoor signal reception. If the signal of your provider in your area is bad, that's not the problem of the phone anymore.
This device also has Bluetooth 5.0, Wireless FM Radio, and the GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS, and BeiDou.
For biometrics, it uses a traditional fingerprint reader at the back. It is snappy and accurate most of the time. The face unlock is also very fast, but it only works well in daylight. It struggles in low light even if you turn on the option for low light compensation.
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| EMUI 10.1 skin |
For software, the handset runs with Android 10 OS with EMUI 10.1 skin. It's the latest version of Huawei's improved Android skin. As mentioned in our previous reviews, it is intuitive, easy to use, and neat-looking. It also has smooth transitions, animation effects, and gestures as well as the Dark mode.
It also has the Phone Clone feature that can let you easily and quickly transfer your messages, calls, apps from other phones.
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| Huawei's familiar Optimizer and Themes apps |
But, unlike other higher-end phones with EMUI 10.1, it doesn't have the Huawei MeeTime video call, option for multiple users, Huawei Assistant, and App Twin.
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| AppGallery and AppGo |
Since it has no Google Mobile Services, the Y6p is loaded with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) with the AppGallery. AppGallery is the new place on Huawei devices where you can explore the apps you want.
AppGallery is also evolving quickly as it now has plenty of local apps and even banking apps and entertainment apps. In particular, I used it to install GCash, PayMaya, Metrobank, BDO, and Viu. It also has social media apps and a lot of communication apps like TikTok, WeChat, Viber, Snapchat, Zoom meetings, and more.
Facebook and Instagram are not directly available on the AppGallery yet, but there is a link when you search it via AppGallery that will point you to the download page of Facebook. After that, you can download the app.
Also, you can download AppGo on the AppGallery that will point you to places where you can find apps that are not in the AppGallery yet.
If you want to use Gmail, Huawei has its own Email app where you can log in to your Gmail account. Some Google Apps that are not working are mostly Browser-based. So, you can just create a shortcut using the "Add to home screen" option of the Huawei Browser.
However, unlike other HMS Huawei phones, the Y6p is not compatible with some of the apps I use. We weren't able to install benchmark apps and some games like the Mobile Legends and PUBG Mobile.
I hope that an update can fix some of these issues soon. Huawei said that eventually, more apps will be added to the AppGallery.
Pros - Good design, decent screen, large RAM and storage, huge battery capacity, good main cam, the inclusion of an ultra-wide camera, strong speaker, accurate fingerprint reader, the aggressive price tag
Cons - Slightly downgraded chip, No LED notification, some apps are not working (unlike other HMS phones)
CPU: 2.0GHz 12nm MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 4GB
ROM: 64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 512GB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 13MP f/1.8 w/ AF + 5MP f/2.2 120-degree ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.0 w/ screen flash
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 10W charging
OS: Android 10 w/ EMUI 10.1
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, 700MHz 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wireless FM Radio, OTG, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, dual SIM (nano)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, proximity, sound
Others: Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, loudspeaker, dual-mic, Colors: Phantom Purple, Emerald Green, Midnight Black
Dimensions: 159.07 x 74.06 x 9.04 mm
Weight: 189 g
Price: PHP 5,990
Also, Helio P22 is still a decent chip at this price point even if it isn't as fast as P35. Besides, this device as more RAM, storage, and battery than most phones in its class.
Despite its few weaknesses and a few incompatible apps, the Huawei Y6p is a solid deal for PHP 5,990.
Build/Design - 4.25
Multimedia Experience - 4
Cameras - 4
Performance 4
Average - 4.06/5
Cons - Slightly downgraded chip, No LED notification, some apps are not working (unlike other HMS phones)
Huawei Y6p Specs
Display: 6.3-inch 2.5D curved TFT LCD (IPS) screen w/ HD+ 1600 x 720 resolution at 278 ppiCPU: 2.0GHz 12nm MediaTek Helio P22 octa-core processor
GPU: PowerVR GE8320
RAM: 4GB
ROM: 64GB expandable via microSD card slot up to 512GB (dedicated)
Back Camera: 13MP f/1.8 w/ AF + 5MP f/2.2 120-degree ultra-wide-angle + 2MP f/2.4 + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 8MP f/2.0 w/ screen flash
Battery: 5,000mAh w/ 10W charging
OS: Android 10 w/ EMUI 10.1
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHz, 700MHz 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, Wireless FM Radio, OTG, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, dual SIM (nano)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, proximity, sound
Others: Fingerprint sensor, face unlock, loudspeaker, dual-mic, Colors: Phantom Purple, Emerald Green, Midnight Black
Dimensions: 159.07 x 74.06 x 9.04 mm
Weight: 189 g
Price: PHP 5,990
Verdict
Huawei Y6p looks great and it comes with good overall specs. The standouts for me are its large RAM and storage along with strong battery performance, reverse charging feature, nice audio quality, triple-camera setup with an ultra-wide-angle mode, and stable connectivity.Also, Helio P22 is still a decent chip at this price point even if it isn't as fast as P35. Besides, this device as more RAM, storage, and battery than most phones in its class.
Despite its few weaknesses and a few incompatible apps, the Huawei Y6p is a solid deal for PHP 5,990.
Build/Design - 4.25
Multimedia Experience - 4
Cameras - 4
Performance 4
Average - 4.06/5
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