Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 First Impressions + Pre-Order details

A pop-up camera smartphone with a wallet-friendly price tag!

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Huawei has just released its latest Y-series device, the Y9 Prime 2019, and it’s unlike any of the brand’s smartphones to date. The Y9 Prime 2019 is Huawei’s first phone with an auto pop-up camera! Usually, pop-up cameras are outfitted to phones in the upper midrange or flagship segment; not the Y9 Prime 2019 though as it has a wallet-friendly price tag.

Thanks to the pop-up selfie camera, the Y9 Prime 2019 is able to pack a large 6.59-inch FHD+ display with minimal bezels and no notch in sight. Even compared to the flagship P30 series, the Y9 Prime 2019 is Huawei’s most “all-screen” phone yet.

The phone isn’t just a looker from the front though. From the back, the Y9 Prime 2019 features a unique, glossy finish. The specific Y9 Prime 2019 that we have is in the Emerald Green color, and it’s definitely quite a looker.

Inside, the Y9 Prime 2019 packs a Kirin 710F processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128 GB of internal storage. This spec configuration is similar last year’s Nova 3i (the 710F seems like a slightly better version of the 710); and much like the 3i, the Y9 Prime still had no problems running everyday apps in my initial run with it.

One noteworthy feature of the Y9 Prime 2019 is the switch to a Type-C port (which is always a plus in my book). Most of Huawei’s recent budget to midrange offerings had microUSB connectivity, so it’s a good thing that the Y9 Prime 2019 now packs an updated port.

Now for the cameras. The Y9 Prime 2019 features a 16MP F/1.8 + 8MP Ultrawide + 2MP depth sensor setup, complete with AI camera features. As for the front shooter, the phone has a 16MP Pop-up selfie camera.

In my initial test shots, the Y9 Prime 2019’s triple rear camera setup did not disappoint. Shots taken outdoors with both the main and the ultrawide camera came out sharp, and had good colors to boot. As for indoor shots with decent light, shots turned out pretty nice as well.

I’ve yet to try out the phone’s selfie shooter, as well as it’s portrait mode. Though from the looks of it, the Y9 Prime 2019 does not disappoint in the imaging department.

While I’ve only had the Y9 Prime 2019 for a few days, I’m already impressed with Huawei’s latest Y-series offering, especially considering its price of PHP 12,990. The Y9 Prime 2019 is an eye-catching smartphone with a large display, a beautiful design, and a Type-C port. There’s also the fact that it packs a capable rear camera setup (at least in my initial test).

Though of course, I still have to test out the phones cameras some more, especially its pop-up selfie camera. Plus, I’ll have to see how the Y9 Prime 2019’s processor holds up well in gaming and day-to-day use. Watch out for our full review of Huawei’s latest smartphone soon!

Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Specs:

  • Hisilicon Kirin 710F octa-core processor
  • Mali-G51 MP4 GPU
  • 4GB RAM
  • 6.59-inch Full HD Display
  • 128GB storage (expandable)
  • 16MP F/1.8 + 8MP + 2MP rear cameras
  • 16MP F/2.2 Auto Pop-up front camera
  • 3G, LTE
  • Ambient Light Sensor, Gravity Sensor, Fingerprint Sensor, Compass, Gyroscope
  • 4000mAh battery
  • Android 9 Pie with EMUI 9
  • Price: PHP 12,990

 

Pre-Order and Availability 

Already interested in the Y9 Prime 2019? We won’t blame you, after all, it’s the first sub-15k PHP smartphone with a pop-up selfie cam!

The Y9 Prime 2019 will be available at Huawei Experience Stores and partner retailers nationwide soon. Pre- orders for the phone opens on July 5 – July 12. Buyers who pre-order the Y9 Prime 2019 will get a free premium Bluetooth speaker worth PHP 1,790.

Huawei will also hold big consumer launch events from July 13-14 in four SM malls:
SM City Marilao, SM City Cebu, SM Megamall and SM City Sta. Rosa. There, you’ll be able to try out the Y9 Prime 2019 for yourself.