Huawei Y7 Prime Review

This isn’t one of the full reviews where I go from unboxing to weeks of use. I got to handle this phone for a while from a friend (it was already unboxed so sorry for people who love unboxing articles).

Anyway here’s what you get in the box:

• Phone
• Earphones (Apple style)
• Charger
• USB cable
• Paperwork and SIM Removal tool

The Y7 Prime is a really well spec’d mid-range device and for that reason it really stands out. Here are the specifications:

[table id=36 /]

I have a fear for low end priced Samsung and Huawei devices. But things are changing for me with Huawei who are changing the narrative with quality low end/budget devices. This is a good example even though it costs a little above Ksh. 20,000.

What stands out most for me with this device is the design language used. Yes it resembles the Infinix S2 Pro for some reason, but there’s more beauty to it when you consider that it packs a 4000mAh battery under its small form. The battery gives it a little more weight. It may appear a light device till you carry it. It isn’t heavy though.

The material used is good and gives it that premium look and finish. We all love holding a piece of polished metal and glass on our hands, and the Y7 Prime gives you that in a good form factor.

I was disappointed with the Huawei GR3 camera and I was expecting the same vibes with this phone’s camera. Under low-light the images aren’t that sharp or clear. But on good lighting, outdoors, the images are good. This applies to both front and back camera.

However, there are issues I wish Huawei would fix. The front camera should at least have auto-focus at this price range. And the back camera suffers a lot on focusing. You can take ages trying to get it to focus on a close subject. But the clarity and sharpness is good, and acceptable. There’s is also PRO mode and Slow-mo mode.

Battery life, as you would expect is really good. A 4000mAh battery on a 5.5 HD display with a Snapdragon 435 is a good combination. A day of normal use on 4G and at the end of the day you’ll still have about 56% remaining. I think this is the biggest strength of this phone. That it isn’t a thick or ugly device, and that in it there’s such a big battery still amazes me.

The obvious letdown is the display. I wish it were 1080p at least. It would make things sharper. Colour reproduction and viewing angles are however not so bad on this display.

The processor has an easy time on this device as the display isn’t demanding, plus there’s 3GB RAM. Tasks are fluid and multitasking is no issue – you can easily have your multi-window modes, but remember this is limited on a 720p display.

It is worth mentioning that I love rubber earphones. The ones that come with this device are iPhone style earphones. I have never been a fan of such. But they amazed me. They sound good in a way I didn’t quite expect.

Also, the fingerprint scanner works well. Not quite as fast, but accurate. Fingerprints are now mandatory so don’t get a phone without one (LOL iPhone X).

Finally…

This is a well spec’d device. I would be more comfortable with a Ksh. 17k to Ksh. 19k pricing citing the poor display. But all in all, I would totally get this phone for daily use as it meets all the essential needs perfectly.

What are your thoughts? You can get the phone from a Safaricom shop (single SIM Card), Huawei Shops, or from Jumia Online Shop.