Huawei’s all-new Y series is here

Huawei. It’s a name most of us have come to know for their feature-packed range of smartphones. Whether it’s budget, midrange, or premium, their smartphones have gained a reputation for offering some of the best around.

However, the past couple of months have been challenging for the tech giant with the US Department of Commerce blacklisting Huawei. The series of events that followed afterward made life hard for the company to put it lightly. But it wasn’t just Huawei, rather an entire global tech supply chain was affected. But thankfully, things have started to take a turn for the better. Now, in typical Huawei fashion, the company even announced a new series of smartphones.

The all-new Huawei Y series is here

If the recent events between the US government and Huawei got you asking questions, then this announcement should put your worries to rest. The all-new Y series comes in the form of the Y9 Prime 2019, Y7 Pro 2019, and the Y5 Lite. So what do these phones have to offer? Here’s a glimpse.

The Y9 Prime 2019

Right off the bat, the Y9 Prime 2019 comes with a 6.59” ultra full-view display. It’s powered by Huawei’s proprietary Hisilicon Kirin 710F processor and houses a massive 128 GB memory, along with 4 GB of RAM. In case you’re concerned about battery life, don’t be. It has a 4,000 mAh battery.

On to the crown jewel. The Y9 Prime 2019 packs a 4-camera setup. The rear camera features a 16 MP (f/1.8) wide lens, an 8 MP ultrawide lens, and a 2 MP (f/2.4) depth sensor. On the front, is a 16 MP (f/2.0) motorized pop-up camera. That means two things, crisp selfies and no bezels.

During the past couple of years, we’ve seen Huawei incorporate AI into its cameras. Y9 Prime 2019 is no exception. What this means is that via the AI algorithm, the rear camera is capable of identifying across 22 categories and over 500 scenes in real-time, enabling an optimized photography experience. Beyond the AI incorporations, the camera also packs in some of the more recent features as well, such as night mode and 3D portrait.

The Y7 Pro 2019

The 6.26” full-view display may be slightly smaller than the Y9 Prime 2019. But it’s still a sizable one. Under the hood, the Y7 Pro 2019 includes a Snapdragon 450 processor, 64 GB memory, 3 GB of RAM, and yes, a massive 4,000 mAh battery. It includes fast charging too mind you.

The Y7 Pro 2019 edition is also equipped with Face Unlock 2.0 and a fast fingerprint scanner at the back. So security is clearly paid attention to even at the lower end of Huawei’s spectrum of smartphones.

Looking at the cameras, the rear camera houses a 13 MP (f/1.8) lens and a 2 MP depth sensor. The dewdrop display screen packs a front camera with a 16 MP lens. So all you selfie fanatics are covered. As with the Y9, the cameras here are also powered by AI.

Y5 Lite

Last but not least on the Y series lineup is the Y5 Lite. The entry-level smartphone packs a 5.45” screen with a 1440*720 HD+ resolution. On the inside, it packs a MediaTek MT6739 processor, 16 GB memory, and 1 GB of RAM. With Android 8.1 Android Oreo Go right off the bat, the Y5 Lite is powered by a 3,020 mAh battery. The cameras include an 8 MP (f/2.0) rear camera and a 5 MP (f/2.2) front camera.

In case you’re one for cosmetics, you might like to know that the Y5 Lite comes with a brown and black leather-like back cover as well.

So how much will the new Y series cost?

The Y9 Prime 2019 is priced at LKR 41,999 and ships in 3 colors, Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue, and Midnight Black. Taking the specs into account and the fact that pop-up cameras are usually associated with higher-end phones, the 41,999 price tag makes the Y9 one of the most affordable in that range.

The Y7 Pro 2019 is listed at LKR 28,999 and comes in Aurora Blue. The Y5 Lite, on the other hand, would only cost you LKR 13,999. Although an entry-level smartphone, if you compare it with the rest of the smartphones in the same range, you actually get better features. As far as we know, the Y5 Lite is the only entry-level smartphone that offers a 5.45” full-view display. The bigger resolution, battery, and camera, all at a lesser price make this one a steal.

So should you get one? That depends on what you’re looking for. Our own experience with previous Y series phones has been quite good. If you’re looking for a smartphone with good features that won’t drain your wallet then the new Huawei Y series is definitely worth a look.