Ok so this is a late review. Huawei has already released the Y9s which seemed to be better on paper as compared to the Y9 Prime 2019. But I am not here to compare both device. As of this time, the Y9s is actually at Php 12, 960 or around $250 and the Y9 Prime 2019, which was priced at 12999 at its release is already around Php. 10, 790 or round $ 210 based on the prices found in Lazada.
There is one thing in common with both of this devices is that they use the same Kirin 710F processor .
First off unboxing the Y9 Prime 2019, you get the handset itself with a screen protector already attached. Underneath that, you also have a transparent jelly/ rubber case, some paperwork, the USB type C cord, the power adapter, and a 3.5 mm headset.
Spec wise the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 rocks the following:
Screen: 6.59 inch Full HD LTPS IPC LCD
CPU: Kirin 710F (12mm)
RAM: 4 GB
Storage: 64 GB or 128 GB plus expandable memory.
Battery: 4,000 mAH
Camera:
Triple 16 MP, f/1.8, (wide), PDAF
8 MP, f/2.4, 13mm (ultrawide)
2 MP, f/2.4, (depth)
And the star of this phone is the
Selfie Camera: Motorized Pop-up 16 MP
Since getting back into the teaching profession, I have encountered numerous scenarios where teachers have to deal with their smartphones becoming extremely unreliable during times when they needed it the most. This is an all too common issue with budget smartphones, especially with the entry and close to mid-tier level smartphones. Unresponsiveness, spotty internet connection, and low storage are the key reasons why I seldom recommend budget smartphones even from established brands. But times have changed thanks to the heavy competition coming from Chinese brands Vivo, Oppo, Xiaomi and Huawei, cheap handsets don’t necessarily mean cheap performance. Huawei and the other Chinese manufacturers have finally released a slew of budget level smartphones that really shine despite being in the budget tier. The Y9 Prime 2019 is no exception. Currently priced at around Php. 10760 or around $210 this is a phone which many of my co-workers can afford.
Let’s have a quick note first. Many teachers find Php. 10,000+ or $200 price range expensive. Most would rather look for an alternative lower than the $200 price range. I sometimes talk with them about the pros and cons but they’d just look for what they can afford. I understand the choices they make especially when they have to make so many financial decisions both in their homes and in school.
So going back to the Huawei y9 Prime, at Php. 10, 760, this is not as hard to recommend to my fellow workers in government because the pros just outweighs the cons and with newer handset coming in, prices are sure to go down even more.
When I first used the Huawei Y9 Prime for a full day, my immediate reaction to it was how reliable it was. While it does have a slightly dated Kirin 710 F chip, it doesn’t feel dated at all and using one app after another just feels smooth. The 4 gigs of RAM may not be up to standards with the flagship devices or even with other mid-tier smartphones nowadays, but it felt quite enough. Though with less ram, apps brought further to the background after being on standby for some time will likely have to restart when accessed again through the recent apps. But the lack of RAM didn’t hamper the overall experience. In the time I have used the Y9 Prime as my daily driver, I haven’t hit a snag in its performance that would ruin the overall experience. Sure it doesn’t rival that of higher mid tier devices or flagship devices but it functioned well enough when I needed it to and held its ground on many occasions when I had to constantly switch through several tasks. The good news about this handset is that there as on option for 128 gigs of on board storage and because of the price, the 128 GB version is an easy choice. Aside from the onboard storage, the Y9 Prime also gives users the option to expand storage up to 1 tb through a micro sd. This is good news for teachers who take tons of photos during events and activities and use their phones as their primary storage device for documents and other files.
Aside from raw performance, I believe that the total experience of the phone itself is as important and reliability is at the top of that list. I say this because most of us who have a smartphone are probably online most of the time and as a public school teacher in this period of time, we need to be online not only to research about topics that we teach but also make and submit reports online. The pandemic situation we are all in right now seems to highlight the need even more. While the intention of “online” is to make our lives easier, this isn’t usually the case for us. And there are far too many instances where teachers are stressed out trying to send reports online because of spotty internet connection. It is equally frustrating and stressful, especially for those who shell out their own money for data. Well, during my time of use, I have noticed the Huawei Y9 Prime held on to the connection far better than my Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Where there were many instances I had to restart my Note 8, the Y9 Prime continued to give steady consistent connection and never let go. How do I know this, well, internet signals in our school is really bad, yet the Y9 Prime just nails it most of the time without any disconnection and despite the ISP slowing down, the Y9 Prime just holds on. This reliability also comes handy during online gameplay, especially with Mobile Legends, where it is mostly played in my area during off hours. I experienced lesser lag compared to those who I was playing with at the same time.
So price, reliability and lastly battery life. The Y9 Prime 2019’s 4000 mah just lasts the whole day. There was this instance on a very busy day we had to be online to file and submit reports. Being a power user, I had data turned on at 6 AM, Bluetooth turned on and connected to my Bluetooth headphones for 6 hrs, and my laptop tethered to the Y9 Prime 2019 as an internet hotspot from 9 AM to 4:30 PM. Added to this was a particularly bad 3G signal, which can easily drain the battery. My Samsung Note 8 battery would have been completely drained out before 12 noon. I was pleasantly surprised that the Y9 Prime 2019 not only lasted the whole day but had enough juice to spare before I got home.
So I have covered three important aspects of the Y9 Prime 2019 that might make it into your consideration. Yet the good stuff doesn’t stop there.
Aesthetically the phone looks really good despite the polycarbonate back cover. The high glossy two tone finish gave me the impression that the phone had a glass back. It even felt like it. So while it is basically plastic, it looks and feels premium to the touch. But a finish like this is a fingerprint magnet and because it isn’t oleophobic like most glass backs from premium devices, it’ll probably look smudgy after a day of use. Aside from that, Y9 prime 2019’s back is easily prone to scratches so you might eventually protect the phone with a proper case.
Furthermore, the rear camera was surprisingly sufficient, not great, but sufficient. In strong lighting conditions, shadows are crushed and the lowlight performance is bad. However, the ultra wide, image quality wise isn’t really good. It was wide but details are easily lost even in well lighted conditions. I suggest that you use it with much hesitation. I am not really complaining but it might be part of your consideration. Overall, the camera is sufficient for your day today use.
If you are into gaming, the Y9 Prime 2019 doesn’t disappoint. With a 6.59 inch full had screen, gaming on the Y9 Prime 2019 is immersive. Based on reviews done so far, it can run graphically demanding games at higher settings. So if your worried about gaming performance, the Y9 Prime 2019 is no slouch.
With the price range, I really don’t have much complaints about the Y9 Prime 2019 except for the pop up camera. I know, this part of the selling point. In paper and renders it looks really good but in practice it can be very stressful. There were instances that I do video calls while lying down and the fear that I might snag that pop up camera is not something I want to deal with.
So those are my reasons why this 2019 handset is still a strong contender for your budget smartphone for 2020. Basically, budget phones these days don’t feel as sluggish as before and could last quite a while until your next upgrade. Should you get this phone? That depends on your but like I said, the Y9 Prime 2019 is a strong contender. Thank you for reading this review. I hope everyone stays safe during this time. I will publish as much content as I can muster during this quarantine. Again stay safe everyone and see you again next time.