Huawei P10: What do the critics think?

Reviewers have started sharing their first impressions of the Huawei P10 smartphone, which was unveiled at the World Mobile Congress in Barcelona yesterday.

Much like its predecessor, the P10 features a dual-lens design co-developed by German camera giant Leica. It boasts a duel-lens 20-megapixel and 12-megapixel camera, with optical image stabilisation to cancel-out any shaky hand movements.

The twin-camera design also allows users to shoot at an aperture value of f/1.8, meaning images have a shallow depth of field, which increases the clarity of selfies.

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Huawei says the P10 features the "first hyper-diamond-cut finishing" on a smartphone, designed to add extra strength and increase the vibrancy of the device's colours.

With an all-new design and a focus on selfies, will the new P10 be able to challenge top-tier smartphones from the likes of Apple and Samsung?

Reviews

ArsTechnica says the diamond-cut body, with "2.5D Gorilla Glass", is "surprisingly heavy", but feels "high quality" and solid to the touch - if a little "unoriginal".

There's an "awkward combination" of off and on-screen buttons, with the physical fingerprint reader at the front of the phone serving no purpose once the phone has been unlocked.

TechRadar says the Full HD display is both "bright" and "easy to read", even though some of the company's rivals are pursuing 4K screens. Users looking for more on-screen performance can opt for the larger P10 Plus, which comes with a 5.5ins QHD (quad high definition) display.

The Leica-developed twin-lens camera has been noticeably improved over its predecessor, the website adds, with its f/1.8 aperture leading to "brighter photos" at any given shutter speed.

Additionally, the dual-lens layout will "give better detail" and "add extra contrast" to images.

Prices

No official UK figures have been revealed, but The Verge reports prices will start at €649 (£553) for the P10 and €699 (£596) for the P10 Plus.