Huawei's P20 family zooms in on the camera

Source: Huawei website. The HUAWEI P20.

The smartest, most intelligent camera experience. This is what distinguishes the HUAWEI P20 family from anything else offered by anyone else, says the company.

Building on the innovations afforded by artificial intelligence (AI)-powered photography and fresh from launching an AI-powered phone camera in 2017, the HUAWEI P20 features a Leica dual camera, with a 12MP RGB and a 20MP monochrome sensor.

There is a larger aperture, Justin Zhang, Senior Director, Product Line Marketing (Global Flagship Products) Huawei Consumer Business Group shared in a media preview in Singapore, which translates to better pictures. Other innovations include 1.55micron RGB pixels whose size enables more light to be absorbed by the sensor, resulting in better low-light performance; and a 24MP front-facing camera - this camera has a 24.8 MP CMOS sensor.

But it is with the HUAWEI P20 Pro that photography shines, Zhang said. The HUAWEI P20 Pro sports a rear-facing Leica triple camera where the most advanced photographic arrangement for other phones is a dual camera setup.

"This is truly the most advanced camera we have ever built," Zhang said. "It has the world's highest pixel count."

Pictures taken with the HUAWEI P20 Pro can have 68MP resolution, the result of a 8MP telephoto lens that enables a 5X hybrid zoom with nearly no loss of quality; a 40MP RGB sensor; and a 20MP monochrome sensor. A new laser sensor enables instant focusing, while 4D predictive focus technology can predict where a moving object is going to be, making panning easier.

According to Zhang, the camera is sensitive enough to detect low-light environments of 1 lux. In sample pictures shown to media of 1 lux photography, the iPhone X takes a picture with barely any details in it, whereas a largely monochrome image can be seen with a Samsung S9+. The HUAWEI P20 Pro on the other hand, can reproduce the scene in colour.

The HUAWEI P20 Pro and the P20 are both capable of filming in slow motion at 960fps at 720p resolution. Actions are slowed down by 32x. According to Huawei, 0.25s recorded in the Super Slow Motion mode equates to approximately 8s of standard video.

Both phones also feature AI-driven 3D facial modelling technology to follow the contours of a face, adjusting the image for more flattering selfies. The 3D Portrait Lighting feature also offers studio-quality lighting effects.

Master AI technology for both phones will also recognise objects in real-time and switch modes automatically - portrait mode when a person is the subject, long exposure mode for a waterfall, and macro mode is the object is close. Nineteen object categories are recognised: cats, food, groups, natural colours, closeups, night shots, text, greenery, portraits, dogs, fireworks, blue skies, flowers, stage environments, documents, sunsets, snow, waterfalls, and beaches. Colour balance is also optimised through AI. The phones can even offer intelligent layout suggestions to improve image composition.

Handheld long exposures are no longer impossible with HUAWEI AI image stabilisation - handheld blur-free night shots are now possible with Huawei's six-axis video stabilisation technology.

Zhang added that the HUAWEI P20 family is designed to look beautiful. "It is all about light," he said.

Source: Huawei website. The HUAWEI P20 Pro can pan effortlessly - as can the P20.

The new Huawei phones feature a new fingerprint-resistant all-glass design with multiple layers for a reflective gradient* in colour. The HUAWEI P20 features five colours globally, though not all will be available in all countries: black, pink gold, champagne gold, twilight and midnight blue. The HUAWEI P20, on the other hand will be available in four colours globally: black, pink gold, twilight and midnight blue.

The HUAWEI P20 has a 4.8" display and is 7.6mm thick, while the P20 Pro has a 6.1" screen and is 7.8mm thick**. The HUAWEI P20 has a 3,400mAh battery, and the HUAWEI P20 Pro has a 4,000mAh battery***. Fast-charging is supported for both phones with the HUAWEI SuperCharge feature, using the HUAWEI SuperCharge cable and charger. The HUAWEI P20 is water-resistant, while the HUAWEI P20 Pro is waterproof.

Other highlights include:

- Face recognition to unlock the phone. The fingerprint sensors on the phones double up as navigation buttons.

- HUAWEI Share 2.0 to transfer files from the phone to Windows and Mac desktops - there is no micro SD card expansion for the phones, whose storage capacities will range from 64GB to 256GB.

- Wireless hi-fi even with Bluetooth wireless streaming

- Bundled screen protector and glass protector

- No headphone jack, with a USB C port built in instead. A USB C headset plus an adapter are bundled.

Cheng Jiangfei, MD, Singapore's Huawei Consumer Business Group, said that Huawei continues to focus on meaningful innovations - battery life, system innovation and the camera.

"This year we will build the Huawei brand in Singapore," he said.

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View specifications for the HUAWEI P20 and HUAWEI P20 Pro

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*The gradient colour finish is exclusive to Twilight and Pink Gold models.

**The screen size is measured diagonally from the furthermost edge of its rounded corners (viewing area is fractionally less).

*** Typical values for each battery. Based on results from HUAWEI lab tests. Battery life depends on actual usage situation.