HUAWEI Y7a Review: A budget phone that delivers more than what you’re paying for

As a content creator who looks at the camera specs and battery before anything else, the Huawei Y7a automatically became an eye-catching device for me. Not to mention that it comes in one of my favorite shades – Blush Gold. While its processor may not be an appealing feature, the total seems to be much more than what we’re paying for when we put the other specs into consideration. We’re looking at smartphone worth only Php 8,999 anyway!

DESIGN

The Blush Gold colorway is definitely an eye-catcher, especially for people like me who love accents of gold and brown. Although it looks more bronze-like, I love how the shades differ depending on the angle of lighting. I didn’t even expect that the body is made out of plastic because of its premium look! It also comes in Midnight Black and Crush Green variants with the same glossy finish for people who prefer darker shades. However, even though it looks nice without a protective case, the Hauwei Y7a is safer with one since the surface looks prone to scratches and it’s a fingerprint magnet. 

Since it’s bigger than the average smartphone, the Huawei Y7a also weighs a bit heavier at 206g. It’s manageable, though, as it can still fit my palm and I can continue typing with just one hand. In front, you’ll find the notch for the selfie camera in the middle of the screen and the call speaker at the edge  – almost hidden from plain sight.

On the left side, you’ll find the fingerprint sensor which can also power on/off the device after a long press and the volume buttons.  While on the right, it’s very smooth with just the triple card slot (2 nanoSIM cards and 1 microSD card slot).

At the bottom, you’ll find a 3.5mm audio port, primary microphone, USB Type-C port, and speaker grille in order. I like how it still has an audio port since there are times that I forget to charge my Bluetooth earphones. Switching to wired earphones isn’t an issue for this device.

DISPLAY

With a 6.67-inch Full HD+ IPS display and 2400 x 1080 resolution, expect nothing less but a visual treat when using the Huawei Y7a. Watching videos and playing games are more enjoyable as it has a huge display with vibrant and realistic colors. This can also be further adjusted to the user’s liking through the smartphone’s settings.

CAMERAS

The best feature, in my opinion, is its quad-camera setup which consists of a 48MP main camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, 2MP depth sensor, and 2MP macro lens. The rear camera delivers clear photos with good dynamic range, bokeh effect, as well as true-to-life colors and details. Its ultra-wide-angle lens can take photos without distorting the lines, while the macro lens can automatically detect the subject. The Night Mode feature, on the other hand, delivers decent images under low-light as long as you can keep your hands steady while taking photos. Otherwise, output will still appear hazy. This is only available in the rear camera, though.

Although the quad-camera setup is a clear winner, the front camera still needs a bit of tweaking as it tends to either overexpose or have intense contrast in shots taken in bright locations. In my case, I had to edit the photo’s brightness manually after taking the shot to achieve my preferred look.

When taking videos, the Huawei Y7a is a good option for steady shots, but it’s not ideal for tracking shots or POV shots as it does not come with auto video stabilization. It may work well with a gimbal, though!

BATTERY

With 5,000 mAh of battery, the Huawei Y7a can keep up with an entire work day for a mix of calls, text, social media use, a bit of gaming, video viewing, browsing, and music playback. I was also able to binge-watch my favorite series for around 16 hours non-stop! In case it’s time for charging, users also won’t need to wait long since the Huawei Y7a comes with a 22.5W SuperCharge feature that can fully charge the device through its USB-C port for more or less than 2 hours. That’s already good for an entry-level smartphone.

AUDIO

Using the loudspeaker for calls is possible and the audio comes out clear. Playing music and binge-watching videos are also possible even at max volume; however, quality isn’t at its best at that point. It’s a nice-to-have for normal day-to-day use, though.

PERFORMANCE

Perhaps one of the downsides of the Huawei Y7a is its outdated HiSilicon Kirin 710A chip. However, it can still hold up when you’re multitasking and it also delivers stable gameplay for majority of the games I’ve downloaded. It can be a bit laggy for games like Genshin Impact but stable when it comes to the likes of FreeFire. It’s worth noting that it’s not the best for heavy gaming, but it can be a decent smartphone companion for social media-savvy users and those who always use their mobile camera. 54GBRAM + 64 or 128GB ROM are enough for common smartphone tasks anyway.

Similar with recent releases, the Huawei Y7a also comes with an Android 10-based EMUI 10.1.1, AppGallery, and Petal Search – which can be tricky for users who do not like tinkering with their phones to find specific mobile applications.

PROS (Considering that this is a budget phone below Php 9,000)

  • 22.5W SuperCharge
  • 5,000mAh battery
  • Clear 48MP quad cameras
  • Big Full HD+ display
  • Comes with complete smartphone essentials (charger, case, etc.)

CONS

  • Processor is a bit outdated
  • Back cover is a fingerprint magnet
  • Selfie camera shots tend to be too bright

Note: As much as I’m being hounded about the absence of Google apps in the smartphone, I don’t really consider it as a con. Huawei was able to provide the apps that I need through the AppGallery and Petal Search so it’s not really a big deal (at least for me). It takes time to get used to it but it’s a missed opportunity if the other good features are dismissed right off the bat.

Full specifications and pre-order details of this Php 8,999-worth smartphone can be found here:


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5 Replies to “HUAWEI Y7a Review: A budget phone that delivers more than what you’re paying for”

  1. Wow!! I love it napaka ganda ng design ng phone 😍. Eto yung gusto yung long life battery and Maganda ang Camera ☺️. Lilipat ako dito pag nagkapera ako the best talaga ang specs ng huawei 👍💖

  2. Wow ganda naman netong phone na to, might consider this phone kase I’m also planning to buy new one hahaha, ganda ng cam at panalo ang battery 😊

  3. Its not my first time to go to see this site, i am browsing this web page dailly and get pleasant information from here everyday. Germana Leonardo Jodee

  4. Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you penning this article plus the rest of the website is also really good. Gaby Welch Donall Amandy Stearne Fogel

  5. Mas gusto ko ang huawei at subok ko ncya lahat ng c.p.nmin Huawei pati ung nasa ibang bansa kung anak yan ang pinadala ko mabilis na matibay pa nawala lng ung akin at nadukot kya bibili ulit ako huawei din

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