Huawei’s Mate 20 lite does AI trickery on a budget

It’s not enough for smartphone cameras to simply point and shoot anymore. No, they must be able to recognise dogs, cats and lampshades, and give your selfies a retouch in real-time. The Huawei Mate 20 Lite’s four-strong array of AI-equipped cameras wants to bring features like this to the cash-strapped social media generation. The phone, which sports a notched 6.3in FHD+ display, has dual 24MP+2MP front cameras will optimise your bokeh portraits based on where they’re being captured, with studio lighting and art filters giving them extra sheen. The back is studded with a 20MP+2MP duo which uses AI for advanced scenery and object recognition. There’s also super slow motion, allowing you to capture action at a sweet 480fps. And it’s not just the cameras. AI makes online shopping easier, identifying products on the fly and taking you straight to the best place to buy them, while also enhancing your gaming experience and blocking out background noise on a call. There’s a 3,750mAh battery on board to ensure all that behind-the-scenes wizardry doesn’t leave you flat by lunchtime, while a capable Kirin 710 keeps everything ticking along. It’ll cost just £379 come launch day in October.

Matt Tate Contributor

About

I'm fascinated by all things tech, but if you were going to leave me on a desert island, I'd probably ask for my Nintendo Switch, a drone, and a pair of noise-cancelling cans to block out the relentless seagull racket. When I'm not on Stuff duty you'll probably find me subscribing to too many podcasts, playing too many video games, or telling anyone who will listen that Spurs are going to win a trophy this season.

Areas of expertise

Video games, VR, smartwatches, headphones, smart speakers, bizarre Kickstarter campaigns