What's good
- Sharp display
- Premium look and feel
- Good battery life
- Accurate and fast fingerprint sensor
What's bad
- Inconsistent picture quality
- Sluggish performance when using demanding apps and games
Directly competing with the likes of the Moto X Play, the Huawei G8 might not have the same level of customization, but it holds its own in the midrange market. Build wise, the G8 boasts a mostly metal construction giving it a more premium appearance and feel. This also makes it a bit on the heavy side at 167 grams. Still, the relatively thin profile, curved sides and well-placed volume rocker and fingerprint scanner made it very easy for them to grip and use. Speaking of the fingerprint scanner, reviewers were highly impressed not only with its incredible speed but its accuracy as well.
The 5.5 inch screen might have been a behemoth a few years ago, but today it is almost par for the course. It has a resolution of 1080p for a pixel density of 401ppi for excellent sharpness. Despite this, reviewers were a bit let down with the screen citing oversaturated colors, high reflectiveness and low overall brightness. Besides the actual screen, they also point out the fairly large bezels surrounding it, which throws off the screen-to-body ratio. With that said, Trusted Reviews adds, "But, this is a mid-range phone so I'm not fussing too much."
With up to 3GB of RAM and two quad-core processors keep the G8 running: one has a max speed of 1.5GHz while the other maxes out at 1.2GHz. While not a powerhouse, critics didn't notice any significant slowdowns or stutters during more basic tasks or multitasking. It's only when they opened more demanding apps or games that they began to see a bit of sluggishness, especially when compared to other smartphones in the same price range. Battery life is good, lasting experts over a full day of moderate usage.
Above the fingerprint scanner is the 13MP rear camera. Not only does it pack a new sensor for the Huawei phone lineup, it also comes equipped with optical image stabilization and dual-tone flash. While the features sound great on paper, experts got mixed results with the actual photo. Some were able to take pictures with excellent detail and great color reproduction while others produced drab and off focus images. It's this unreliability that annoyed many reviewers though they do acknowledge that it tends to take great pictures more often than not.
While it has its flaws, reviewers believe the Huawei G8 is a strong contender for those looking for a stylish phone with decent performance. Whistle Out states, "…you'll get a great phone compared to what you pay."
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Alexandru Stănescu, GSM DomeHuawei G8 has to offer a solid design, good low light capture and a good continuous usage battery time. Other than that it’s just like any other midranger. We can call it a gaming phone and concert phone, on account of the battery, low light performance and microphones.
- Michael Desjardin, ReviewedIf you calibrate your expectations you’ll find an attractive, competent performer.
- Cherlynn Low, Tom's GuideThe Huawei GX8 offers a great display and a fingerprint sensor in a handsome body, but bad battery life mars its potential.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Huawei G8 user manual here.
Huawei backs up the G8 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your G8 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Huawei support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Huawei's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Huawei G8 Manual (PDF)
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