Huawei Mate 20 Lite, we have tested it

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite is a phone that arrives to conquer the mid-range in Spain. We are facing a DualSIM smartphone with a large screen (6.3 inches), 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage . And all this for 400 euros.

However, the main strength of Huawei's new smartphone is in the cameras: the Chinese brand has opted for the dual camera on both the main lens and the selfie lens .

Specifically, the main camera is 20 + 2 megapixels , while the front offers 24 +2 megapixels. In both cases, the presence of a second depth sensor lens allows you to create compositions with a blur effect ( bokeh ), ideal for portrait-type photos.

Broadly speaking, the design follows the usual lines of other Huawei phones: a combination of glass and metal, a fingerprint sensor on the back and a nearly borderless screen. In addition, we find the fashionable element on the screens, the famous "notch" at the top .

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite can be purchased in Spain in  blue, black or platinum gold .

Huawei Mate 20 Lite, a fast and powerful DualSIM phone

Inside the Huawei Mate 20 Lite we find the Hisilicon Kirin 710 processor, composed of eight cores : four at 2.2 GHz and another four at 1.7 GHz.

To this we must add a 4 GB RAM memory that guarantees the smooth performance of all processes, even if we have many applications open at the same time.

Only the version with 4 GB of RAM will arrive in Spain , although in other countries a model of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite with 6 GB of RAM will also be launched.

On the other hand, you will not have to worry about internal storage. The new Huawei phone has a 64 GB capacity , which can be expanded by microSD card of up to 256 GB.

However, it is important to note that there is no dedicated tray for the microSD card. This means that we will have to use the tray of the second nanoSIM for that purpose . Therefore, we would have to give up the DualSIM feature.

That is to say: we can use two nanoSIM cards simultaneously, or a nanoSIM with an external storage microSD card.

Once again, oversized and notched mobile

The new Huawei phone models join without hesitation the new market trend: the famous and controversial "notch" . And the Mate 20 Lite model also has this feature.

Screen magnification and the obsession with ever-increasing size are blurring the distinction between smartphones and tablets. In that search for a diagonal of more and more inches , manufacturers extend the display panel on both sides of the front camera.

This detail means that a design is formed notch ( notch ) in the upper edge , as the area of the front chamber is not part of the screen but the space on both sides itself. This is a feature that many love and others hate: the controversy seems endless.

If you are from the group that hates the notch, you are in luck, because in the Huawei Mate 20 Lite we can "eliminate" it in a few steps. From Settings> Display> Notch area the setting takes a few seconds.

What we actually do with this setting is "hide" the upper sections on the sides of the screen. Huawei's interface, EMUI, will color those sides black so that they "camouflage" with the camera space ... The notch disappears!

Design and screen of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite has a 6.3-inch screen, which generates a 19.5: 9 format , ideal for enjoying videos and series on your mobile. In addition, the panel hardly has any side edges and forms a screen ratio of 81.7%.

It is a capacitive touch screen with LTPS IPS LCD technology, and with a Full HD + resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels , which forms a density of 409 pixels per inch.

The choice of a Full HD + resolution responds to a balance between resolution and battery . With 1080 x 2340 pixels we can enjoy audiovisual content in better quality, but without the waste of energy that a panel with 2K resolution supposes.

Do not forget that the screen is one of the most resource consuming elements in phones. Therefore, giving up the 2K it is possible to offer good autonomy data despite having such a large panel (6.3 inches).

In terms of grip and handling, the large diagonal of the Mate 20 Lite makes single-handed use very difficult . We will have to grab it with one and use the other to handle the phone and move through the applications.

Of course: the style of the phone is attractive and elegant , thanks to the rounded edges and the screen with hardly any margins on the sides. On the front we only find the selfie camera lenses, creating the aforementioned "notch" on the screen.

At the rear we find the two camera lenses, arranged vertically , and slightly protruding from the chassis. It is a striking but impractical style, since the lenses can be scratched easily if we carry the mobile in our pocket or backpack without any type of protective cover or case.

The fingerprint reader is located on the back , aligned just below the lenses. The camera's LED flash is located slightly to the left of the two lenses.

On the left side we find the slot for the cards, while the right side is intended for the volume buttons and the on / off button. Finally, the bottom edge features the speaker, the USB Type-C port and a miniJack (3.5mm) port for connecting headphones .

As for the materials used, Huawei has opted for glass on the front and aluminum on the back, with a very bright hue. Fingerprints are not easily marked, but the risk of scratches exists: it is better to use a protective cover for your mobile .

Datasheet - Huawei Mate 20 Lite

A mobile with four cameras: bokeh effect  everywhere

Another trend that is establishing itself in the mobile market is the design of mobile phones with dual lenses , both in the main camera and in the selfie camera. That is why we say that the Huawei Mate 20 Lite is one of those smartphones “with four cameras”, for the most demanding users with photos.

The main camera of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite is 20 + 2 megapixels and aperture f / 1.8 . For its part, the secondary camera is 24 + 2 megapixels with f / 2.0 aperture. Both can record video in Full HD (1080p) quality.

In this model, Huawei has wanted to bet strongly on the quality of the front camera , thanks to a double lens with a higher resolution than that of the rear camera.

The front does not have an LED flash, but it does use an on-screen flash system capable of illuminating faces. In this way, it is possible to take good selfies even in low light .

The most striking feature of the camera app is the incorporation of artificial intelligence to improve image capture. It is actually an advanced system that allows, among other things:

• Automatic scene detection .
• Capture photos with sharper colors , even at night or in poor lighting conditions.
• Smarter and more calibrated use of beauty mode as the phone identifies details that need to be improved or modified for portraits and selfies

In addition, the camera application of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite incorporates augmented reality technology . We can superimpose icons, stickers and moving elements on real scenes, both in photographs and videos.

Augmented reality can also be used to apply masks, hats, and other facial decorations to selfies or portraits. The system works very well, thanks to the fact that artificial intelligence detects faces instantly and is able to superimpose the corresponding elements.

Photo mode: automatic and professional

With the camera application we can take photos in automatic mode or manually configure the parameters (aperture, white balance, etc.) in professional mode.

By activating artificial intelligence, the phone will automatically recognize scenes to adjust the parameters in automatic photography. The only context in which artificial intelligence disappoints is in food photographs , as it modifies the color parameters and gives the dishes an almost artificial appearance. It's better to take those photos with artificial intelligence turned off, and manually adjust the parameters.

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite camera application has smile detection , flash selection, HDR mode and motion photo function (which record a few seconds of video to understand the context in which the image was taken).

Aperture and portrait modes

Using the aperture and portrait modes we can play with the aperture of the lens and with the blur bokeh effect  . They are interesting options when we want to highlight an object in the foreground against a blurred background.

AR lens

This is the most fun tool to take selfies with emoji and masks or to place virtual elements on the scene. It can also be applied to videos.

Video recording

The cameras of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite can record video in FullHD (1080p) quality and offer very good results in both image and audio.

Depending on the desired effect, we can activate or deactivate video stabilization , or use object tracking so that the focus remains fixed on a certain element during recording.

Other camera functions

• Panoramic and panoramic 3D photography .
• Filters and color filters artistic touch.
• Geolocation of images, watermarks.
• Painting with light .
• Night mode (for taking pictures in low light conditions and with a tripod).
• Document scanning .
• Fast motion and slow motion .
• Reading QR codes .

Operating system and pre-installed applications

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite mobile comes standard with Android 8.1 Oreo , the most recent stable version of the Android operating system. To this we must add Huawei's own personalization layer, in its most updated version: EMUI 8.2.0.

On the smartphone we find many pre-installed applications , but most of them can be deleted. We will not be able to give up, yes, the Google suite or some of Huawei's own tools.

• Google Suite : search engine, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Photos, Google Maps, YouTube, Play Music, Google Play application store, etc.
• Basic tools : phone, file manager, download manager, Huawei music player and video player, theme selector, calendar, notepad, calculator ...
• Huawei's own applications : Huawei Health, HiCare –to manage the warranty or consult technical questions– and AppGallery, the store and own applications in the EMUI system.
• Games : demo versions of Asphalt Nitro, Kingdoms, DragonMania, Puzzle Pets and  Spider-Man: Ultimate Power .
• Other pre-installed apps : Facebook, Booking, Netflix, eBay and Amazon Assistant.

The keyboard installed and configured by default in the Huawei Mate 20 Lite is Swiftkey , but it can be disabled and replaced by another that we want to use, such as the Google keyboard.

Phone manager: the hub in EMUI

Like other Huawei devices, the Mate 20 Lite has a built- in phone management application . It is a true "operations center" to optimize the terminal at any time.

From the manager you can carry out actions to free up storage space , extend the remaining battery time or clean junk files and free up cache memory.

The Manager application has seven different buttons:

1. Optimize . It is a quick access to optimize performance (closing applications and freeing up RAM). A regular security scan is also performed to detect viruses and other potential threats. The battery is optimized by disabling unnecessary items or functions (such as Bluetooth connection).
2. Clean . The cleaning section allows you to manage the storage space. Here we can clear the cache and junk files and organize or delete large files that we no longer need: photos, videos, unused applications, etc.
3. Mobile data . It is a section to consult the mobile data used in the month, the applications connected to the Internet, and a ranking of the apps that have consumed the most data. In addition, you can configure the Data saver, a function that limits connections to the network in the background to reduce consumption.
4. Number filter . It is a tool to configure call and message blocks, a black list of numbers that will not be able to contact you, etc.
5. Battery . This is a shortcut to the phone's battery settings. From here we can activate the energy saving mode and the ultra energy saving mode. You can also manage the automatic start and close of applications when the screen is locked, as well as check the battery use since the last charge.
6. Floating notifications . It is a section to configure the applications that will have permission to create floating notifications on the mobile.
7. Search for viruses . One button to quickly start the security scan and detect potential phone threats.

In short, the EMUI Phone Manager is a very interesting tool to get the most out of the Huawei Mate 20 Lite and always enjoy storage, performance and battery in the best conditions.

Party mode: a simple function to play music on several mobiles at the same time

Another very interesting application on Huawei's mobile is Party Mode . It is a simple tool to play the same music simultaneously on several devices at the same time. It is a very useful detail for parties and events.

Party mode works by synchronizing via WiFi network and NFC connection . It is also necessary to have the Huawei Beam functions activated, and it may be necessary to create a WiFi zone.

The connection can also be made by creating a unique QR code that will then be scanned by other friends to join the simultaneous music playback.

Huawei Mate 20 Lite battery: up to two days of autonomy

The smartphone is equipped with a 3750 mAh capacity lithium-ion battery . Although the screen is large, the FullHD + resolution and the good power management of EMUI guarantee us excellent autonomy figures.

When idle, the Huawei Mate 20 Lite's battery can last more than 90 hours. With moderate use, we can count on almost two full days without going through the plug.

In any case, and even if the phone is used more fully and intensively, we can last the whole day without battery problems.

On the other hand, from the Phone Manager (or from Settings> Battery) , it is possible to configure options to extend even more autonomy.

Power saving mode

By activating this mode, the phone reduces its battery consumption by reducing background processes and applications . Sounds and vibration are disabled, visuals and animation are reduced, and automatic mail syncing is disabled.

Ultra power saving mode

The ultra power mode allows you to greatly extend the available battery time. The phone removes all colors from the screen, minimizes connections, and only leaves a few basic applications available , such as the phone and SMS messages.

Quick charge function

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite has a USB Type-C port for fast battery charging . Of course: we will have to use the original brand charger to obtain the best results.

Sound: quality, connections and functions

Unlike other terminals on the market, which rely on double speaker systems, in the Mate 20 Lite we only find one speaker, located on the lower edge .

The sound quality when playing videos is very good , so that second speaker is not missing. However, when placing the screen horizontally, be careful not to cover this audio outlet with your hand.

To use headphones we have a miniJack port (3.5 mm). And there is good news for radio lovers: the phone has a built-in FM radio . The headphones work as an antenna to capture the signal, and it will not be necessary to use extra apps or connect to the Internet to enjoy our favorite stations.

Huawei Mate 20, 20 Lite and 20 Pro, three devices for different tastes

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite is "the little brother" of the Huawei Mate 20, a mobile with a Kirin 980 processor, and up to 8 GB of RAM. It will also offer 256 GB of storage and a higher capacity battery: 4,200 mAh.

In addition, the Chinese brand is also going to launch the Huawei Mate 20 Pro, with the same design lines but characterized by a huge 6.9-inch screen and a 4,200 mAh battery to be up to the task in terms of autonomy.

The difference will also be noticeable in the price, since the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro models are focused on the high end , while the Mate 20 Lite stays in the mid-range with a more moderate price (about 400 euros).

Use experience with the Huawei Mate 20 Lite: conclusions

The Huawei Mate 20 Lite test experience has been very positive . It is a very fast and elegant phone with a large screen and an excellent camera.

One thing I could improve on is visibility in bright sunlight: the panel looks pretty bright, but it's almost impossible to see anything if you're wearing polarized sunglasses . In summer or outdoors in direct sunlight it can become uncomfortable.

At the design level, two important details should be mentioned:

• With a large screen, it is almost essential to use both hands to operate the phone.
• It is essential to protect the phone with a cover to avoid scratches. In addition, the lenses of the main camera protrude and can be easily damaged if we carry the mobile in a bag or in our pants pocket.

As for the battery, there is no cause for complaint. With moderate use it can last up to two days , and in any case the whole day of autonomy is guaranteed without having to go through the plug. In fact, the Mate 20 Lite holds up phenomenally, even using it to watch videos on Netflix and other streaming platforms.

Without a doubt, as already mentioned, the main attraction of this Huawei smartphone is the camera. The quality of the lenses allows you to capture excellent images with both the main and secondary cameras: panoramic photos, selfies, portraits, night photography, etc.

In addition, the integration of the new artificial intelligence of the manufacturer allows to get the most out of each situation. Automatic scene detection works great and manages to obtain the best levels of brightness, contrast and sharpness for colors according to the lighting characteristics and the objects we want to photograph.

The great point in favor of this technology is that it allows you to take high-quality photographs , with very good results, without having to resort to manual adjustments of the parameters. The professional mode is only used for very specific details and moments when we want to achieve different nuances or effects.

Considering all the pros and aspects that could be improved, there is no doubt: the Huawei Mate 20 Lite is an excellent mid-range terminal , and it is worth it for its price of 400 euros.

The smartphone can be purchased in Spain from mid-October .