When it comes to budget-friendly phones, there are plenty of options in the smartphone market and all of them are quite similar in one way or another. In this article, we will be taking a look at the Huawei Y9 series which has the Huawei Y9s and the Huawei Y9 Prime (2019). Both are priced under RM1000.
The reason why we are picking these two against each other is that consumers might probably be confused between the two. If there's the word 'Prime' in there, does it mean it's better? Why does the Y9s cost just a bit more then? What's the difference between the two? Let's break it down for you.
Design - Just different shades of colour
As the subheader title suggests, the design of the Y9s and Y9 Prime (2019) are more or less the same with each other. Both have a triple rear camera setup, USB Type-C, a pop-up front camera, even the same screen panel size of 6.59-inches. The two phones' size measurement isn't that far off either, which is 77.2 x 163.1 x 8.8mm vs 77.3 x 163.5 x 8.8mm respectively.
Guess which one is which?
Y9 Prime (2019) (left) and Y9s (right)
The two pop up cameras are placed at the exact position on the two phones
A closer look on the rear design of the Y9 Prime (2019)
The side-mounted fingerprint/power button on the Y9s can be seen there, while on the bottom the two are the same
The only way to tell them apart is by the colour, the Y9s comes in Breathing Crystal and Midnight Black while the Y9 Prime (2019) is more straightforward in Emerald Green, Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black. Also, the one last minor difference is that the latter is still using a rear fingerprint sensor while the Y9s' fingerprint sensor (cum power button) is mounted on the side below the volume buttons.
Tech specs and features - Basically clones
If you thought the identical features have stopped, that was just the tip of the iceberg. In terms of tech specs and features, both phones are basically clones at this point but with some minor differences. Below are the features that both phones share:
- Kirin 710F chipset
- 128GB ROM
- Expandable memory up to 512GB via microSD card
- 8MP (ultra-wide) and 2MP (depth) camera lens
- 16MP pop-up front camera
- 4000mAh battery (5V 2A charging support)
- EMUI 9.0 (Based on Android 9)
As for the minor differences that I mentioned, the Y9s' main camera is 48MP and the Y9 Prime's one sits at 16MP. On the other hand, the RAM memory is just a mere 2GB in difference (6GB vs 4GB respectively), as well as using the same hybrid dual SIM card tray.
Performance - Both have great cameras
Since the Y9s and Y9 Prime are using the same chipsets, the gaming performance should probably be the same more or less. But what about the camera performance? Is the 48MP really superior to the 16MP camera sensor? Well, we took some photo samples so take a look at them yourself below.
Using the main camera between the Y9 Prime (2019) (16MP, left) and Y9s (48MP, right)
Cropped image of the Y9s 48MP mode, pretty good
Cropped image of the Y9 Prime (2019) main camera, it's not so bad
The bokeh mode shot on the Y9 Prime (2019) and Y9s respectively
The ultra wide-angle shot on the phones in the same order
Price and closing thoughts - Great Y9 series smartphones
The Y9s has some advantage over the Y9 with its' side-mounted fingerprint sensor and 48MP camera sensor (the Y9s has a slightly better colour contrast if you look closely on the PC). If anything, this all boils down to design preference and budget, which is RM999 (Y9s) vs RM799 (Y9 Prime). Getting either one of them is still a good deal, especially if you're into big fullview displays. Personally, I'd get the Y9s just for the Breathing Crystal design.
The Y9s is available right now across the nation on the official Huawei online store here, while the Y9 Prime can be found over here. So what do you all think? If you want to compare more devices, you can use our comparison tool on our website for your convenience. Stay tuned for more fun comparison articles at TechNave.com!
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