“The P20 Lite joins the likes of the OPPO F7 and Vivo V9 in the display notch smartphone gang”

More than anything else, what the Huawei P20 Lite (first impressions), the OPPO F7 (review) and the Vivo V9 (review) seem to be heralding is that the display notch is here to stay. All three phones come with display cut-outs to mimic the Apple iPhone X (review), so that they can offer the maximum screen-to-body ratio. Huawei’s smartphone is the cheapest among the lot at Rs 19,999. In comparison, the pricing of the OPPO F7 starts at Rs 21990, while the Vivo V9 sells at Rs 22,990. But it all comes down to the features and utility offered by each of these devices in the end. So in this article, let’s do a detailed comparison between these notch-toting mid-rangers. 

Design and display

As mentioned, the notch is the common design trait of the trio. The minimal bezels mean that the displays on these phones aim to deliver an immersive experience, making them great for watching videos and playing games. This also means that the fingerprint scanners being placed on the rear of these phones. None of them offers waterproofing which is not a surprise given their price range.

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A big design advantage that the OPPO F7 and the Vivo V9 have over the Huawei phone is their triple card slot which allows you to use two SIMs and a microSD card at the same time. The P20 Lite on the other hand, offers a hybrid slot.

Coming to the rear, the P20 Lite and the Vivo V9 flaunt dual cameras, while the Oppo F7 settles for a single snapper. The three phones feature glass on their back, which lends them a premium vibe. But if looks are the parameter, the unique colour options that Huawei’s handset offers really make it a treat to look at.

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The P20 Lite’s display measures 5.84 inches, the F7 sports a screen size of 6.23-inches, while the V9 offers the largest screen of them all, with a 6.3-inch panel. All these IPS LCD panels feature a resolution of 1,080 x 2,280 pixels. This makes it a close fight in the display department. Those looking for a compact display and effectively a smaller overall size can opt for Huawei’s offering, while those who prefer a large form factor can opt for either the OPPO F7 or the Vivo V9.

Hardware and software

Huawei has equipped the P20 Lite with its own HiSilicon Kirin 659 chipset, offering a 2.3GHz octa-core processor, which is paired with 4GB of RAM. The Vivo V9 also goes for 4GB of RAM but ships with 2.2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 SoC. As for the F7, it goes for the 2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio P60 processor which is quite new, but is power efficient and brings AI capabilities too. OPPO also provides buyers with the option for 4GB or 6GB RAM variants, which come with 64GB or 128GB of storage, respectively. In comparison, both the P20 Lite and V9 have 64GB of storage on offer. Thankfully, all three of these phones feature microSD card slots.

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Each of these phones come with proprietary software running atop Android. And keeping with the current trend, all three phones give you the option of face unlock. The camera software is where these skins have focused on the most, but we’ll talk about that later. The P20 Lite runs EMUI 8.0, while the OPPO F7 ships with ColorOS 5.0 and the Vivo V9 boots Funtouch OS 4.0 – all of which are based on Android 8.1 Oreo. There is virtually nothing to complain about here, since all three handsets offer feature-packed software experiences, with options like multitasking, smart shortcuts, AI camera features and intelligent memory allocation built in.

Camera and battery

The triad makes no secret of the fact that it is targeting selfie enthusiasts. The P20 Lite comes with a 24MP front camera with an f/2.0 aperture opening. The sensor has a special Light Fusion ability, which combines with 3D facial recognition to fine tune the light and colours in your selfies. The OPPO F7 flaunts a 25MP f/2.0 front camera and exploits the power of artificial intelligence to deliver a better selfie-clicking experience. The Vivo V9’s front camera is a 24MP f/2.0 unit. AI-based face beautification, lighting effects and AR stickers are present on this phone as well, just like the other two devices.

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On the rear of the Huawei P20 Lite sits a 16MP + 2MP dual camera setup which enables a Portrait mode among other things. There are 15 different modes to take advantage of here. The Vivo V9 also ships with a pair of rear cameras, comprising a 16MP shooter and a 5MP sensor. The cameras are supported by an AI bokeh algorithm for blurring backgrounds efficiently. There’s also the ability to click an image and adjust focus later. The OPPO F7 falls behind the two in this aspect as it features a single 16MP sensor, though it does come with a wide f/1.8 aperture.  

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Speaking about the batteries, the P20 Lite is the weakest among them with its 3,000mAh unit. But an advantage it has over the other two devices is its fast charging capability. As for the OPPO F7 and the Vivo V9, these phones feature 3,400mAh and 3,260mAh cells inside them.

Closing thoughts

Looking at the bigger picture (pun intended), there are very few differences between these three handsets. The OPPO F7 does suffer due to the omission of dual cameras, but its triple slot gives it and the V9 a definite edge over the P20 Lite. All three devices are powerful and capable of handling heavy tasks, while there’s no doubt about their selfie-clicking abilities. So for someone on a tight budget, the Huawei P20 Lite will be the way to go, whereas those who have some more cash to spare and are looking for great selfies, can opt for the F7 or the V9.