Huawei Y6P Review – EMUI and AppGallery on Value Hardware


Huawei Y6P is the latest entrant in the brand’s diverse value focused Y lineup. In this in-depth review and discussion, we will be sharing our thoughts on the new phone along with tests and benchmarks in order to make your buying decision easier. While Huawei does produce expensive flagships such as the Mate series and P series, its main bread and butter are its value phones which are comprised of ‘Lite’ and Y series phones. Growing its offerings in these categories, the recently introduced, Huawei Y6P comes at a competitive price-point and carries some respectable on-paper hardware. However, how does it fare as a complete package? We will discuss that ahead.

Y6P classes itself as an entry-level Android phone. For starters, the phone comes with some enticing hardware such as 3GB RAM, 64GB storage and most of all, a 6.3 inch minimal bezel display. Adding to that, the phone ships with a large 5,000mAh battery that Huawei is quite proud of. However, as with all phones, the on-paper specs aren’t all and the phone has to perform well in day to day scenarios. So, we will be discussing our thoughts ahead after daily driving the phone for more than a week.

Huawei Y6P

Right before we start discussing our thoughts, here are the complete technical details for Huawei Y6P:

  • Network: (GSM / FDD / TDD / WCDMA)
  • Display: 6.3’’ Display (720 x 1440)
  • Processor: MediaTek MT6762R
  • OS: EMUI 10.1(Based on Android10.0)
  • Camera Rear: 13 MP (f/1.8 aperture) + 5 MP (Wide Angle Lens, f/2.2 aperture) + 2 MP (f/2.4 aperture)
  • Camera Front: 18 mega-pixel , F/2.0 aperture, Fixed Focus
  • Connectivity: microUSB, Bluetooth 5.0 and 3.5mm Headphone Jack
  • Memory: 3GB RAM + 64GB Storage
  • Dimension: 159.07 x 74.06 x 9.04mm
  • Battery: 5,000mAh

Huawei Y6P Review: Exterior and Design

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Right after holding the phone for the first time, it doesn’t feel as an entry level device. We were expecting plastics all round but Huawei has managed to fit in a glossy glass back which plays a vital role in enhancing the overall experience. Moreover, this has also allowed Huawei to add a gradient color finish that has varied reflections based on light. Users have the options to choose from Emerald Green (the color of our review unit), Phantom Purple and Midnight Black.

Retaining our focus to the rear, in addition to the fancy color options, the phone carries a triple camera setup. All of the three sensors have been arranged vertically to form an elongated sensor bump. More, the fingerprint sensor is placed on the rear as well. Recently, Huawei has started adding fingerprint scanners underneath the power button but this placement works just as well and we have nothing to complain about. The accuracy, reliability and ergonomics all are great.

Moving towards the side surrounds, the phone has a traditional Huawei layout. You get the power button and volume rocker on the right — unfortunately no texture difference on the buttons but you get used to it nonetheless. On the bottom, there is a standard microUSB port, speaker grill and 3.5mm headphone jack. micro-USB on entry level phones, such as Huawei Y6P, makes sense as the customers looking to buy this would already have microUSB cables lying around hence no added cost of purchasing USB type-C ones. The left side houses the SIM tray that accepts dual SIM and dedicated microSD card expansion.

Lastly, for the top, there is just a microphone cut-out. All the surrounds are painted in a matte finish that corresponds to the color of the device and since the finish isn’t glossy, it makes the phone easier to grip.

Now, towards the front, it is pretty much completely filled with the large 6.3 inch display. Bezels are barely noticeable except for the slightly large bottom chin. More, the front camera is placed in a tear-drop notch. All in all, the phone’s front display layout reminds us of flagships that launched couple of years back — a great thing to replicate for any entry level phone!

Huawei Y6P Review: Internal Hardware and Performance

Huawei has delivered well with its new Y6P in terms of its exterior but how does it stack up when it comes to performance and internals? Let’s discuss that next.

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– Display

The physical layout of the front display had us impressed but for the resolution (1440 x 720) and overall crispness, it lacks that. However, at this price point, we can’t really point this out as a negative because displays that offer better resolution cost a whole lot more. For colors, it proves itself well. Colors come out vibrant and give out a great sense of immersion. The stock wallpapers look great on the display, thanks to their mixture of colors.

The brightness aspect, being LCD, is at par. Outdoor situations are slightly a struggle especially in direct sunlight, except that, the brightness is adequate.

– Processor, Storage and RAM

When we first read the spec sheet of Huawei Y6P, we were surprised to find that internally, the phone is being powered by MediaTek MT6762R processor rather than a variant of Huawei’s own Kirin silicon technology. Further, Huawei has paired the octa-core processor with 3GB of RAM and 64GB storage. The storage can be expanded with dedicated microSD card slot.

The performance as a whole delivers well when it comes to navigating the system UI, performing day to day tasks but after that, you can only run arcade / entry level games on the phones. Demanding apps such as Call of Duty and PUBG all run at low graphic settings with occasional stutters. Again, the price reflects this. Gamers wouldn’t be looking at an entry-level phone anyhow. Apps like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and others work well on the phone and without much struggle. We attached some benchmark figures below for some numbers.

– Battery

Huawei Y6P comes equipped with a 5,000mAh module. It is evident that Huawei has done its homework when it comes to reading what the target customer needs. Many entry-level consumers want their phones to last at-least a day and for the ones that last more, win their choice. Keeping this in view, Huawei has delivered well with the Y6P. Not only is the physical size of the battery large enough but coupled with optimized software, we had our phone report in double figures of on-screen time — that roughly translates to two full days of usage!

Moreover, users have the option to choose power modes so if they go with power saving, the battery endurance we reported earlier can be stretched in even farther on Huawei Y6P. In the battery department, it wins our vote!

Huawei Y6P Review: Camera

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For the camera array, there are three sensors on the back making for a Triple Camera setup. The arrangement is as follows: 13MP f/1.8 main sensor with a 5MP ultra-wide and 2MP camera for aperture assistance. This allows Huawei Y6P to cater Aperture shots, ultra-wide shots and standard photos as well.

To sum our experience, Huawei Y6P trades off quality with diversity. You get more sensors at the back but at the cost of quality of each. And for this price range, we think it can work since users will be able to play around with different modes to get the shots they need rather than just one or two quality sensors. We have attached few sample shots to convey the quality.

Huawei Y6P Camera Sample
Standard

From these, you can see the phone performs well in daylight but struggles in low-light situations. Further, Huawei hasn’t included Night Mode in the camera app, rather just an HDR mode. No AI scene detection as well.

Lastly, the front camera, it is a 8MP f/2.0 module with Fixed Focus. Huawei is using its beauty filters to make the camera perform better but without them, it displays a soft image with some noise.

Huawei Y6P Review: Software

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Regardless of the price, all Huawei phones have been under the microscope when it comes their software as the brand is no longer allowed run any Google services. In its response to this situation, Huawei is not only shipping Android 10 EMUI 10.1 on Y6P but it also includes its own AppGallery solution which allows users to install apps and games. We can’t say it is a complete replacement, for now, as many popular apps are missing but it is growing nevertheless. Moreover, there are other app store replacements present that can be used to help solve this problem. We were able to install Call of Duty Mobile on the phone despite it being not available anywhere other the Play Store!

After getting over the app store hurdle, the rest of the software works well. Running latest Android 10, there are navigation gestures built-in, latest APIs and variety of accessibility as well as customization features that we have come to love about EMUI.

For future support, Huawei has always been keen on updating its devices regardless of which price-point they are offered at. Hence, with Huawei Y6P, you can expect great software support.

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Screenshots

Taimur Akmal
Taimur Akmal

Devoted writer, enjoys developing code. Appreciates excellent food, exceptional coffee and great company. He is also into sublime design and nicely built cars.

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