Last year in October Huawei unveiled one of its affordable mid-range smartphones, the Huawei Y9 (2019) which became one of their best sellers in the series.
The Y9 (2019) came with a powerful Kirin 710 processor, 4AI cameras and a long-lasting battery life. This year’s model, the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 was launched in the Kenyan market and is one of the first Huawei smartphones to have a retractable selfie camera. The good news is that the notch has finally been ditched to give room for the pop-up camera giving the Y9 Prime a near bezel-less design.
This device is the definition of budget-level cost with flagship-aimed specs. How Huawei’s Y-series manages to deliver premium devices like this at such affordable price points, we’ve not yet been able to figure out.
But let’s take a peek here and drop in on our first impressions.
Inside the box
As you can see, a $250 smartphone requires some trade-offs and Huawei clearly made one with the packaging. It’s quite simple and includes only the bare minimum:
a USB type C cable
a wall charger
a set of earphones
a pin for the SIM-card tray
a rubbery transparent case
and documentation
Our device is Sapphire Blue in color and fits in my palm well. Its edges are also soft to handle and the back is curved just like the P30 series to give a good grip for easy one-handed use.
The Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 has a 6.59-inch Full HD Ultra FullView display @ 2340 x 1080 pixels with no notch and 19.5:9 aspect ratio. It is powered by an octa-core Kirin 710F processor, paired with 4GB of RAM.
The Y9 Prime 2019 comes with a triple rear camera setup, which houses a 16-megapixel primary sensor, an 8-megapixel secondary sensor with an ultra-wide-angle lens, and a third 2-megapixel sensor. There is a 16-megapixel sensor on the front as well, which is a part of the pop-up selfie camera module.
Further, the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 packs 4GB RAM + 128 GB ROM of onboard storage, GPS, USB-Type C, and 4G LTE support. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity support is included as well.
The dimensions of the phone are 163.5(H) x 77.3(W) x 8.8mm(D) and it weighs 196.8 grams.
There is a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor. It runs EMUI 9.0 based on Android Pie and comes in Midnight Black, Emerald Green, and Sapphire Blue color variants.
This product does not have a swappable battery, which is the norm for smartphones these days. Closed batteries cannot be taken out or quickly repaired, but they do allow for smaller designs and slightly bigger battery size inside the same product design.
The Y9 Prime 2019 is however blessed with a non-removable Lithium-Polymer 4000mAh battery. Which is aimed at the “generation of gamers,” especially due to its Kirin processor, RAM, ROM, and the “stylish colors” and “entertainment experiences” it can provide.
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Full Specifications
| SIZE | 163.5(H) x 77.3(W) x 8.8mm(D) |
| WEIGHT | 196.8 grams (Including the battery) |
| COLORS | Midnight Black/ Sapphire Blue/ Emerald Green |
| DISPLAY | 6.59″ (2340 x 1080) |
| MEMORY | 4GB RAM + 128GB ROM |
| CAMERA | Front Camera: 16M FF Rear Camera: 16M + 8M + 2M |
| OPERATION SYSTEM | Android 9 + EMUI 9.0 |
| BATTERY | 4000mAh (Typical value), 5V2A, type C |
| SENSORS | Fingerprint sensor Ambient light sensor Digital compass Gravity sensor Gyroscope sensor |
Pricing and Availability
The Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 will start selling on Jumia exclusively for Kes. 24,999/-. The pre-order period runs until the 4th of July and one is set to get a gift hamper that includes headphones.
Lipa Later has also partnered with Huawei to offer flexible financing options. When you apply with Lipa Later, you can get the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 and then start paying after your qualifications are confirmed in under 24 hours. Time periods range from 2 months to 12 months. If you opt for the 12 month period, you’ll make monthly payments of Kes. 3100/-.