Skip to main content

No, Huawei hasn’t forgotten about the P9 Lite, but it’s missing the P9’s best feature

The Huawei P9 is official, and it has been joined by the P9 Plus, the successor to the old P8 Max. However, what about a P9 Lite? The P8 had a cheaper cousin with the Lite name, and rumors prior to the P9’s announcement speculated one would be coming along with the P9. Sure enough, Huawei has added a P9 Lite to the range, and here’s everything you need to know about it.

If you’re expecting the P9 Lite to have the same Leica camera as the P9, then sadly you’re about to be disappointed, because Huawei has chosen a single lens 13-megapixel camera for the rear of the P9 Lite. It has a dual LED flash and autofocus, and a manual mode for fine tuning, but none of the Leica magic that makes the P9’s camera such a winner. On the front is an 8-megapixel selfie cam.

Recommended Videos

It’s still wrapped up in an aluminum body, giving the P9 Lite the chance to compete with other mid-range specced devices with so-called ‘premium’ builds, and it’s thin at 7.5mm and weighs 147 grams. This is slightly thicker, and a couple of grams heavier than the P9. Android 6.0 Marshmallow with Huawei’s own EMUI user interface over the top is displayed on the 5.2-inch touchscreen. It shares the same 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution as the P9.

There’s less power on offer, as you’d expect, from a 2GHz quad-core Kirin 650 processor with 3GB of RAM. Internal memory is just 16GB, but there is a MicroSD card slot to bump this by 128GB. A 3000mAh battery matches the P9, and there’s a fingerprint sensor on the back of the phone. Certain models come with NFC, but annoyingly not all.

Huawei has listed the P9 Lite on its website, but it’s not up for sale through the Vmall online store yet. A May release is expected in the U.K., and it’ll be sold through the O2, EE, and Vodafone networks, plus Carphone Warehouse stores. The price hasn’t been confirmed, but we’ll keep you updated with details when they’re announced.

Previous updates: 

Updated on 05-27-2016 by Andy Boxall: Removed rumors and updated with official release details

Updated on 04-21-2016 by Andy Boxall: Added in information on the P9 Lite from the TENAA certification website

Andy Boxall
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
The best Huawei P40 cases and covers

 

Launched in April 2020, the Huawei P40 packs a lot of punch for its price. It may not come with Google Mobile Services, but it boasts strong processing specs and an impressively versatile camera system.

Read more
Huawei P40 Pro Plus vs. iPhone 11 Pro Max: Best of Huawei meets best of Apple
huawei p40 pro plus hands on features price photos release date camera hand

 

Huawei's P40 Pro Plus and Apple's iPhone 11 Pro Max are the highest-end offerings of their respective companies. They're ideal smartphones for those in search of a large display, reliable camera, and long-lasting battery life -- and for those who are ready to pay a premium. Gone are the days when operating systems were the only deciding factor when upgrading. Smartphones offer much more now, and it's worth going in-depth for the undecided.

Read more
This one iPadOS 26 feature has me excited for the iPhone Fold
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Samsung is set to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold book-style folding phone this Summer, but its biggest rival is yet to show its folding phone hand. Apple has long been expected to unveil an iPhone Fold, and the latest rumors suggest that it will launch next year.

I’ve used almost every folding phone released globally, with some exceptions for extremely obscure ones. While I've always been curious what an iPhone Fold would look like, I was fairly certain that Apple shouldn't build it, as I wasn’t sure they could deliver on one necessary feature.

Read more