Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Unboxing and Review: Almost Bezel-less screen x Pop-up Selfie Cam
Remember the time when the first few releases of smartphones with pop-up camera got mixed reactions from the public? It was a no-brainer for me to say no to this kind of innovation because I know how careless I can get when it comes to dropping phones. lol That's when the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone comes into the picture.
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| The Lifestyle Wanderer's review of the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone |
UNBOXING
Here's what's inside the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 box — (1) earphones, (2) 10W charger, (3) USB Type-C cable, (4) silicone phone case, (5) manual and SIM ejector, and the (6) Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone in Emerald Green.
It's always a delight when a unit comes with an authentic phone case. In Y9 Prime's case, only the bump on the top of the phone is covered to give way to the pop-up selfie camera. The rest of the accessories inside the phone are your typical accessories from the charging items, earphones, to the SIM ejector.
It's my first time laying my hands on a notch-less phone. While this new Huawei mid-ranger sports a thin bezel in front, it almost appears to be bezel-less because of the undisturbed FHD full-screen IPS display. This means no more front button and selfie camera in front! 󠅓💯 |
| Unboxing the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone box |
DESIGN
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| The front part of the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Phone |
It was a good idea getting the Emerald Green color because apart from it being my birthstone, I was captivated by its silky texture (especially when put under the light!). The triple cameras and the fingerprint scanner are located at the back of the camera.
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| Back part of the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Phone |
I also highly appreciate how my thumb strategically lands on the lock button and my index finger on the fingerprint scanner. I still have a good grip on the phone, given my big hand.
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| Bottom and left side of the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone |
DISPLAY
I didn't realize how a phone with a zero notch can totally change someone's viewing experience. Exhibit A — I found myself binging over the latest YouTube videos and Netflix series with this mid-ranger. I actually finished Money Heist's latest season using this phone on the plane on my way back to Manila. All thanks to its 6.59" HUAWEI Ultra FullView Display!
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| The Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 phone display |
I'm also living for its display's low latency. As a content creator for brands, my tasks on mobile is fast-paced that I don't want my phone lagging in between tasks. This phone, with a full display, responds quickly and I wouldn't want it any other way.
CAMERA
This phone boasts four different cameras in total namely (1) 16 MP AI front camera (aka the pop-up front camera), (2) 2 MP Depth Camera, (3) 16 MP Main Camera, and (4) the 8 MP 120° Ultra Wide Angle Camera.
Camera modes: Photo, portrait, night, aperture, PRO, Slow-mo, Panorama, AR lens, light painting, HDR, time-lapse, filter, and stickers.
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| Back part of the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Phone |
AUTO POP-UP CAMERA
It's now time to address the elephant in the room. The pop-up selfie camera trend had some people roll their eyes because of the pop-up mechanism's vulnerability over time. In Huawei's case, they made sure that the Y9 Prime 2019's selfie camera is a dependable one. Its durability has been tested 100, 000 times and it can pop up and take photos after withstanding 15 kg of pressure. |
| Daylight selfie with the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 (L-R) outdoor, indoor |
I'd give the output of the selfie camera in daylight an 8/10. It isn't hard to nail that selfie (especially indoors) because it takes sharp, vibrant images in a snap.
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| Selfie with the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 in a low light setup with flash |
A common problem to entry-level and mid-range smartphones in the market, a selfie with the Huawei Y9 Prime Selfie camera in low light setup becomes noisy even if the flash is already on. Depends on what you're going to do with the photo after, I still find it decent for posting on IG story or when you're simply updating a friend on Telegram for example.
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| Selfie with the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 in Portrait mode |
The Portrait mode taken using the front cam can also be a tad frustrating because while it can nail some edges in the foreground, it doesn't capture hair strands perfectly. This is kind of crucial if you want to achieve that spotless, pro-looking portrait. This isn't the case though for photos in portrait mode taken with the back camera.
16 MP TRIPLE CAMERA
I find the portrait mode taken in daylight using the rear camera way more impressive compared to the selfie camera's output. The bokeh in the background looks natural with a noticeably smooth transition from foreground to background. |
| Taken with the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019's rear camera in Portrait mode |
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| Taken with the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019's rear camera in daylight |
Just like the front cam, this mid-ranger's rear camera also takes sharp, vibrant images. It takes a turn in photos taken in a low light setup because the images tend to become warmer and heavier on contrast when taken on a place with minimal lighting.
The photos that were taken in a low light setup (normal and wide mode) ends up being noisy. Also, balancing the brightness of the image in an indoor setup can be a bit of a struggle because the output becomes grainy if I boost it too much.
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| Taken with the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019's rear camera in a low light setup |
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| Taken with the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019's rear camera in a low light setup |
AUDIO
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| Huawei Y9 Prime 2019's earphone |
The default earphones that come with the unit can compliment someone's mobile entertainment needs. I wish the sound quality had more bass in it though because I mostly listen to Alternative Pop/ Pop Punk music genre. I also found out falling off my ear from time to time because it doesn't come with silicone buds for proper sealing inside my ear. However, it's the other way around for the speaker. I love how it can fill up the entire room with minimal distortion.
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| Huawei Y9 Prime 2019's speaker located at the bottom of the unit |
BATTERY
VERDICT
The Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 is available in all Huawei stores and authorized distributors nationwide for P11,990. It's also on sale this November 11 at Lazada. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled on their website or app to know its discounted price. 😊
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