HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus: everything we know so far

In this post, which will be updated regularly, we take a closer look at the latest rumors surrounding HUAWEI’s upcoming flagship devices, the P10 and P10 Plus.

HUAWEI is on the rise. The Chinese company is currently the third biggest smartphone manufacturer in the world and has been steadily increasing its presence in Western markets, especially in Europe. It is known for making great devices, like last year’s P9 and P9 Plus, which impressed us with a great looking design, premium build quality and a price tag that is more affordable when compared to some other high-end devices.

That’s why we’re looking forward to seeing what HUAWEI will bring to the table this year. The company will soon announce the P10 and P10 Plus that will go head-to-head with other flagship smartphones we’re expecting to see in 2017 including the Samsung Galaxy S8 and LG G6.

We’ve been hearing a lot of rumors regarding the HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus and have decided to round them all up in this post. If you want to know when the devices will be released, what they will look like, what will they offer specs-wise, and how much they’ll retail for, keep reading. You’ll find all this information and more down below.

HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus: release date

The P9 and P9 Plus were officially announced at the beginning of April last year and went on sale in quite a few countries around the world in the same month. But this year, HUAWEI will likely speed things up a bit. The company has already sent out press invites for an event that will take place in Barcelona on February 26, a day before Mobile World Congress officially kicks off.

HUAWEI said that the event will feature “the global unveiling of a new flagship device.” As the high-end Mate 9 smartphone has been announced only a few months ago, we believe that the company is referring to the new P10 range. While they may be unveiled at MWC, they won’t be available right away. Fortunately, you won’t have to wait long, as HUAWEI will probably start selling the smartphones in certain markets about a month after they are announced.

It looks like HUAWEI is opting for the same strategy as LG this year. The company wants to get its flagship devices on the market before its rivals do. By rivals, we’re mostly referring to Samsung, which will release the Galaxy S8 a bit later than usual this year (mid-April). This will give HUAWEI an opportunity to boost P10 sales in the first month or so while the P10 and P10 Plus will face less competition on the market.

The strategy sounds great on paper, but it is hard to say how well it will work in real life. Those who are in the market for a new smartphone and are eager to get their hands on the Galaxy S8 probably won’t mind waiting a little longer to get it. 

HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus: specs

All the rumors so far, including a GFXBench listing that was later taken down, claim that the HUAWEI P10 will be bigger than its predecessor. Instead of the 5.2-inch 1080p screen found on the P9, the P10 will feature a larger 5.5-inch display with Quad HD resolution. It feels like 5.5 inches is the new norm these days, and HUAWEI has decided to follow market trends and give consumers what they want.

Surprisingly, the P10 Plus is also expected to feature the same 5.5-inch Quad HD display. However, just like the Galaxy S7 Edge and the Mate 9 Porsche Design, it will be curved on both sides, which should give it a more premium look. If you’re into that kind of thing.

Both devices will be powered by the 2.3 GHz octa-core Kirin 960 chipset and will be available in a few different variants. According to a leaked promotional document first published by PhoneArena, the P10 will come with 4 GB of RAM and an option of 32 or 64 GB of storage and there’ll be another option with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of space.

The P10 Plus, on the other hand, will only be available in two versions. You’ll be able to get the device with either 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage or 6 GB of RAM and double the amount of space — 128 GB.

The HUAWEI P10 has just stopped by the FCC, revealing a 3,100 mAh battery and dual-SIM slots under the model number VTR-L29. The HUAWEI P10 Plus has not yet been spotted at the FCC.

The Leica-branded dual-camera setup is one of the best features of the P9 and the P9 Plus. Therefore, it is expected that the upcoming P10 series will also come with two camera sensors on the back — some of the leaked pictures further below seem to confirm this. One lens is used for color reproduction and the other for capturing black and white details.

We also wouldn’t be surprised if the megapixel count gets bumped up. The HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus just might sport a 20 MP + 12 MP camera combo, which is also found on the high-end Mate 9. On the other hand, the selfie snapper will apparently stick with the 8 MP sensor found on its predecessor. But the camera should have a few new tricks up its sleeve.

As you’ve probably noticed by now, the upcoming HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus are expected to be identical in terms of specs. The only difference between them is that the Plus variant will have a curved screen opposed to the more traditional flat display found on the P10.   

HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus: software

Huawei’s flagship devices are expected to run Android 7.0. Nougat. Of course, the company will add its own EMUI 5.0 user interface on top that originally made its debut on the Mate 9. The latest version of the skin is a lot better and more polished when compared to previous iterations. For example, you are finally able to enable the app drawer, which a lot of users have welcomed with open arms.

However, it does change the look and feel of HUAWEI’s flavor of Android quite a bit, and might not be to everyone’s liking. To learn more about HUAWEI’s UI, check out our “What’s new in EMUI 5?” post.

The HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus might also feature a digital assistant that will enable you to interact with the device with different voice commands. But don’t expect to see Google’s Assistant on the smartphones. The upcoming flagships are expected to have Amazon’s Alexa on board, which is also coming to the Mate 9 soon.

Amazon’s digital assistant can really improve the user experience with your device, as it is capable of setting an alarm, opening apps, playing music you want, and a bunch of other things based on your voice commands. It is gaining a lot of traction in the market, as it is also being used in a variety of products from different brands in addition to Amazon’s range of smart home speakers. 

HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus: design

The current HUAWEI P9 and P9 Plus are quite easy on the eyes. They feature a metal body with a small glass strip on the back that covers the cameras and the flash module. The built quality is excellent and the devices really do feel premium in the hand. However, they do look very similar to the HUAWEI P8, which is why some have expected that the company will switch things up this year and show off a different design language.

But it looks like HUAWEI won’t make a lot of design changes to its upcoming flagship smartphones. Images of the P10 have leaked on Weibo showing the device in its full glory. As you can see, it looks more or less identical to its predecessor, which can either be a good or a bad thing depending on how much you like the design of the P9.

There are, however, a few changes that stand out. HUAWEI has decided to move the position of the fingerprint scanner from the back to the front. The scanner is embedded in the Home button below the screen, a feature which wasn’t present on the P9.

Another image that leaked on Weibo tells us a different story. It shows what looks to be the P10 Plus — based on the curved screen — which apparently also sports a physical button below the screen but has a fingerprint scanner on the back. This might be another difference between the two smartphones, although it’s not really that common to see a device with a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner as well as a physical Home button on the front.

We can also expect to see the upcoming flagship devices in a few new colors. The HUAWEI P9 and P9 Plus were released in a number of different color options including Ceramic White, Titanium Grey, and Mystic Silver, among others. Almost six months later at IFA in Berlin, the company also announced the smaller of the two devices — the P9 — in Red and Blue options.

According to another image that also appeared on Weibo, you’ll be able to get the P10 and P10 Plus in two new colors. The smartphones will be available in Green and Purple. We can’t confirm these colors yet, but we’d be interested to hear your thoughts in the comments.

HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus: price

One of the strong points of the P9 and P9 Plus is their price. The devices weren’t exactly cheap at launch but did carry a price tag that was more affordable when compared with other flagships. The P10 and P10 Plus are also expected to cost less than rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S8, LG G6, and HTC11 (or whatever it ends up being called), however, they will likely be more expensive than their predecessors. According to well-known leaker @Ricciollo1, the upcoming P series will be the most expensive so far.

There’s no word on exactly how much the smartphones will cost though. At launch, the 32 GB HUAWEI P9 retailed for €599, while the 64 GB option was priced at €649. Its bigger brother was a little bit more expensive, as you had to dish out €749 to get it.

So it appears that you might have to spend a bit more money this year if you want to get the P10 or P10 Plus – we already know HUAWEI needs to improve profitability this year. We’ll know exactly how much the prices has risen, if at all, once the phones are officially announced at the end of February.

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These are all the rumors regarding the HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus we have come across so far. We’ll update this page as soon as we hear more.

Meanwhile, do let us know your thoughts on HUAWEI’s upcoming smartphones. Do you think they will give the Samsung Galaxy S8 a run for its money? Let us know by posting a comment down below.