Launched internationally just before the Mate 40 series, the Huawei Y7a is another affordable upper entry-level device from the Chinese company that wants to balance price, performance, and battery life in one neat package. Let’s have a quick look at Huawei’s latest effort before it arrives in the country this November.
| Chipset | Kirin 710A |
| Screen | 6.67-inch IPS, 2400 x 1080 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| OS | Android 10 with EMUI 10.1, AppGallery |
| Rear Camera | 48MP f/1.8 Main, 8MP f/2.4 Ultrawide, 2MP f/2.4 Depth, 2MP f/2.4 Macro |
| Front Camera | 8MP f/2.0 |
| Storage | 64GB/128GB expandable via MicroSD Slot |
| Network | Dual-SIM, 4G LTE |
| Connectivity | WiFi 802.11n, Bluetooth 5.1, USB Type-C, 3.5mm Audio Jack |
| Battery | 5,000mAh, 22.5W Huawei SuperCharge |
| Others | Side-mounted Fingerprint Scanner |
| Colors | Crush Green, Midnight Black, Blush Gold |
We received a pre-production retail unit of the Huawei Y7a, which closely will closely resemble the final product. Its box is fairly standard affair from the brand with a primarily white color with the smartphone and its name embossed at the front.
Inside is the Huawei Y7a itself, a 22.5W Huawei SuperCharge adapter, a USB Type-C cable, and a SIM ejector pin. It is currently missing a silicone case, warranty card, and a quick start guide, which will be included in the final retail package of the device.
The Huawei Y7a comes with a rather large 6.67-inch FullHD+ IPS display making one of the better companions when enjoying content. Its IPS display also allows for a full range of viewing angles without any kind of color shift, which is a must for any device that will be used for media consumption.
The screen is accompanied with a 5,000mAh battery to keep you watching videos throughout the day. While a 5,000mAh battery isn’t particularly a standout feature, it is paired with the 22.5 Huawei SuperCharge. This means that not only can the Huawei Y7a last throughout the day but it can charge fairly quickly compared to other smartphones in its price bracket.
Huawei keeps the design of the Y7a rather conservative instead of having a flamboyant appearance. While it won’t be the preference of some people, we can say that its clean aesthetic gives off a minimalist feel. The rear’s finish is glossy, which means that dust and fingerprint will be severely attracted to the surface unless you use a case.
A big battery and fast charging won’t mean much if the smartphone itself is sub-par in the performance department. Luckily, the Y7a comes with a Kirin 710A chip which is fairly powerful for what can be considered as an entry-level smartphone. Its chip is paired with 4GB of RAM and a sizeable 128GB of internal storage.
As far as imaging goes, it has the complementary quad camera setup that has become popular in every smartphone segment within the past year. At the forefront is a 48MP f/1.8 main camera backed by an 8MP f/2.4 ultrawide lens, a 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor, and a 2MP f/2.4 macro lens.
Test shots taken by its main camera proves that the Huawei’s imaging quality does not diminish as the smartphone gets less expensive. Photos are detailed and produced with natural colors. We’ve only had a short time with the Y7a and we will upload more test shots for our full review coming soon.
It’s no secret that despite the Huawei Y7a running on Android 10, it doesn’t have access to traditional Play Store apps. The AppGallery does a decent job of providing most of the apps you need and want on a Huawei smartphone. Most used apps like Facebook, Lazada, Shopee, GCash, PayMaya, and many others are present on the platform.
There are apps, however, that aren’t available on the platform yet. Huawei has streamlined the process of searching and downloading apps from the Internet thanks to Petal Search. Just search the app you want to download onto the Petal Search bar on the home screen and it will show you all the related apps for your search term. Just tap on the app you want to get and its APK will be automatically downloaded onto the device. Installation is just as easy as other Android smartphones.
At PhP 8,990, the Huawei Y7a seems like a solid contender for a smartphone. The inclusion of a 5,000mAh battery, 22.5W Huawei SuperCharge, and its 6.67-inch FullHD+ display can make it a long-lasting entertainment device. The Y7a also packs decent hardware under the hood like its Kirin 710A chip. Its 128GB of internal storage can house tons of photos from its array of quad cameras at the back.
It’s too early to say to make a final decision about the Huawei Y7a but we have had a good experience so far with it. Our full review the device should be posted in a couple of days. Until then, our testing will continue so we can form our final opinion about the Y7a.
