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Verdict
The Huawei P30 Lite is a good-looking phone with a versatile camera and a really good display. It does the basics well, and also delivers some flourishes in the form of fast charging, plenty of storage and a comprehensive UI.
What the Huawei P30 Lite isn’t however is a good gaming phone with killer battery life. It doesn’t have as much power as we’d expect from a phone that costs over £300, and you’ll probably need to charge it at least nightly if you’re a moderate user.
How easy it is to recommend really does come down to the price you pick it up for and what you want out of your smartphone.
As it stands, if you place a serious premium on design and imaging – go for it. If however value for money is your main motivation, you’d be better off opting for the significantly cheaper Realme 3 Pro or Redmi Note 7.
Who's this for?
The Huawei P30 Lite is ideally suited to light to moderate users who value aesthetics above all else. It’s a good-looking phone with a great screen and a very capable camera.
Should you buy it?
Provided you’re not a gamer and don’t mind the fact you could get more power for less elsewhere, the P30 Lite could be a great smartphone for you. It has got plenty of storage, as well as an easy to get to grips with interface and a versatile camera.
Having said all that, we would recommend staying on top of the latest news regarding Huawei and Google’s relationship if you’re thinking about investing in any new Huawei or Honor device.
Looking for alternative options? Consider these three:
Moto G7 Plus
The Moto G7 Plus gives you a much more stock take on Android than Huawei’s P30 Lite, while still delivering an excellent camera experience and great battery. While it doesn’t pack the pizzazz from a design point of view that our peacock P30 Lite does, it still looks and feels premium, and even ships with a case in the box.
Read our full Moto G7 Plus review
Sony Xperia 10 Plus
Sony’s Xperia 10 series pack ultra-wide 21:9 screens, and with the 10 Plus being the bigger of the two, its 6.5-inch panel is something to behold.
With half the storage, comparable power and a slightly higher price tag, it definitely isn’t the obvious alternative to the P30 Lite, but if you’re a lover of on-the-go motion pictures, it could be the one for you.
Read our full Sony Xperia 10 Plus review
Realme 3 Pro
Definitely the wild card suggestion in our list of alternatives, the Realme 3 Pro is a much, much cheaper phone than the P30 Lite.
Starting at £175 (around $220, AU$320), while it doesn’t have three cameras or NFC, and the micro USB port feels dated, it still manages to cram in more power, a comparable screen experience and across the board reliability, not to mention better battery life – making it our hands-down winner when it comes to gaming.
Read our hands-on Realme 3 Pro review
First reviewed: May 2019
