Want Huawei's great smartphone cameras but can't ditch Google apps? Here are some alternatives to check out
Don't get it twisted, Huawei makes great smartphones—the new P50 Pro and P50 Pocket look sleek and come with flagship features. But there's a huge caveat when you own one: you can't install Google apps that most people use daily like Gmail, YouTube, Play Store, and more.
Despite the lack of mainstay apps, the Chinese tech giant's phones had some features that set them apart like their amazing Leica cameras.
Huawei will soon make the P50 Pro and foldable P50 Pocket up for grabs in the Philippines, and they look sleek and boast flagship features. While they're enticing to buy, if you're someone who can't do without Google apps, they might not be the best buy. Sure, you can download a third-party app that will enable you to get Gmail, YouTube, and more, they're not always safe for your phone.
The Huawei devices come at flagship prices, too, with the P50 Pro available for P52,999, the P50 Pocket for P69,999, and the P50 Pocket Premium Edition for P86,999.
For those hesitant of Huawei, here are five alternative smartphones that have just as good cameras to add to check out—some of them even come at a cheaper price.
OnePlus 9 Pro
While this brand might not be a household name like Huawei, OnePlus is known for equipping smartphones with a clean, stock-like Android.
OnePlus phones aren't really famous for their cameras—usually, they're just okay. However, the brand partnered with camera maker Hasselblad to improve the OnePlus 9 Pro's phonetography game, enabling it to shoot more natural color tones in photos that can rival the quality of photos captured with the Samsung Galaxy S21.
Aside from good cameras, this phone has a vibrant 120Hz display, a long-lasting 4,500mAh battery, and a minimal rear design.
Xiaomi Mi 11
For under P40,000, the Mi 11 boasts a handful of premium features including a top-of-the-line processor to go with its Harman Kardon-tuned loudspeakers, and 108MP triple camera setup.
It also has a number of impressive camera modes that will let you explore your creativity, including macro, Supermoon, night mode, and long exposure. As for videos, the phone can record footage at up to 8K at 30 frames per second, making it a capable tool for aspiring vloggers.
Oppo Reno6
To cater to content creators and aspiring creatives, Oppo introduced its Reno lineup with camera-focused features and an uber-stylish design. The latest of these, the Reno6 brings cool photography features to your pocket for a midrange price of P26,999.
While it's not as decked out as the other phones in this list, the Reno6 is a well-rounded device with a big memory at 8GB or 12GB RAM. Its triple camera setup consists of a 64MP main camera, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 2MP macro module with features like Flash Snapshot which lets you capture moments in a beat.
Now, for the foldable alternatives.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
The Galaxy Z Flip3 is more affordable than Huawei's offering, priced at P52,990 for the 128GB model, and it comes in chicer colors like cream, green, black, and lavender.
Like the P50 Pocket, this smartphone is reminiscent of old-school flip phones, making it easy to tuck in your pocket or in your purse. What makes Samsung's foldable unique is its 1.9-inch cover screen where you can see the time, weather, notifications, and your music player at a glance.
Motorola Razr 5G
If we're talking about flip phones, we can't forget the OG foldable: the Motorola Razr. The Motorola brand revived its famous clamshell phone in 2020 in the form and gave it a modern update.
When open, the new-generation Razr gets a 6.2-inch foldable OLED display and when folded shut, it has a 2.7-inch cover screen. Above the mini display is a single 48MP rear camera for snapping photos.