The Huawei P40 lite arrived in early 2020 as the brand’s attempt to bring flagship-inspired styling and a capable Kirin 810 chipset down to a budget-friendly price of about 170 EUR. It pairs a roomy 6.4-inch Full HD+ IPS display with a 48 MP quad-camera array, 40W fast charging, and a sizeable 4200 mAh battery, making it one of the more complete mid-range packages of its era.
What sets this phone apart from most rivals at the time is a single, defining caveat: it ships with Android 10 and EMUI 10 but no Google Play Services. That trade-off shapes the entire ownership experience, so this guide focuses on who the P40 lite genuinely suits, how its hardware holds up, and where its compromises will matter most.
Full Specifications
Network
| Technology | GSM / HSPA / LTE |
| 2G bands | GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 |
| 3G bands | HSDPA 800 / 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 2100 |
| 4G bands | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 – JNY-L21A, JNY-L01A, JNY-L21B |
| 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 18, 19, 28, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41 – JNY-L22A, JNY-L02A, JNY-L22B | |
| Speed | HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE (2CA) Cat13 400/75 Mbps |
Launch
| Announced | 2020, February 27. Released 2020, March 02 |
| Status | Discontinued |
Body
| Dimensions | 159.2 x 76.3 x 8.7 mm (6.27 x 3.00 x 0.34 in) |
| Weight | 183 g (6.46 oz) |
| Build | Glass front, plastic back, plastic frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM + Nano-SIM |
Display
| Type | IPS LCD |
| Size | 6.4 inches, 101.4 cm2 (~83.5% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2310 pixels (~398 ppi density) |
Platform
| OS | Android 10, EMUI 10, no Google Play Services |
| Chipset | Kirin 810 (7 nm) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×2.27 GHz Cortex-A76 & 6×1.88 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Mali-G52 MP6 |
Memory
| Card slot | Nano Memory (uses shared SIM slot) |
| Internal | 128GB 6GB RAM, 128GB 8GB RAM |
| UFS 2.1 |
Main Camera
| Quad | 48 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.0", 0.8µm, PDAF 8 MP, f/2.4, (ultrawide) 2 MP (macro) Auxiliary lens |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
Selfie camera
| Single | 16 MP, f/2.0, (wide), 1/3.06", 1.0µm |
| Features | HDR |
| Video | 1080p@30fps |
Sound
| Loudspeaker | Yes |
| 3.5mm jack | Yes |
Comms
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS |
| NFC | Yes (market/region dependent): JNY-L21A, JNY-L01A, JNY-L21B |
| Radio | FM radio |
| USB | USB Type-C 2.0, OTG |
Features
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, proximity, compass |
Battery
| Type | Li-Po 4200 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 40W wired, 70% in 30 min |
Misc
| Colors | Black, Emerald Green, Light Pink/Blue, Skyline Gray |
| Models | JNY-L21A, JNY-L01A, JNY-L21B, JNY-L22A, JNY-L02A, JNY-L22B, JNY-LX1 |
| Price | About 170 EUR |
Our Tests
| Performance | AnTuTu: 325777 (v8) GeekBench: 7846 (v4.4), 1862 (v5.1) GFXBench: 18fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) |
| Display | 1085:1 contrast ratio, 515 nits max brightness (measured) |
| Camera | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | -27.0 LUFS (Good) |
| Battery (old) | Endurance rating 121h |
Price and Availability
The Huawei P40 lite offers a compelling combination of features and performance. While the base price is around €170, the actual cost may vary depending on your location and retailer. Below, you’ll find the approximate price of the Huawei P40 lite converted into various currencies. Please note that these are estimates based on recent exchange rates as of June 19, 2026 and may not reflect the exact price you’ll find at a retailer.
- United States: $195
- Japan: ¥31,421
- United Kingdom: £147
- Australia: A$278
- Canada: C$275
- Taiwan: NT$6,166
- Denmark: kr1.269
- Saudi Arabia: ﷼731
- South Korea: ₩299,782
- Germany: €170
- Brazil: R$1.004
- Vietnam: ₫5.124.165
- Kenya: KSh 25,330
- India: ₹18,383
- Indonesia: Rp 3.456.600
- Nigeria: ₦264,290
- Pakistan: ₨54,263
- Philippines: ₱11,812
- Bangladesh: ৳২৩,৯৪৬
Value: What 170 EUR Actually Buys
At roughly 170 EUR, the Huawei P40 lite undercut many contemporaries while offering hardware that punched above its segment. You get a 7nm Kirin 810 chipset, up to 8GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage, and 40W wired charging that few sub-200 EUR phones could match in 2020. The catch is software: without Google Play Services, the value equation depends entirely on whether Huawei’s AppGallery and alternative app sources cover your needs. For buyers who can live within that ecosystem, the price-to-hardware ratio is excellent.
Design and Build Quality
Measuring 159.2 x 76.3 x 8.7 mm and weighing 183 g, the P40 lite feels substantial without being unwieldy. The glass front is paired with a plastic back and plastic frame, a sensible cost-saving choice that keeps weight reasonable and survivability high. Color options include Black, Emerald Green, Light Pink/Blue, and Skyline Gray, with the green and gradient finishes giving the phone a more premium look than its price suggests. The side-mounted fingerprint sensor is fast and ergonomically well placed for both right and left-handed use.
Display Experience
The 6.4-inch IPS LCD panel runs at 1080 x 2310 pixels for a sharp ~398 ppi density and an 83.5% screen-to-body ratio thanks to a compact punch-hole cutout. In our testing it reached 515 nits of measured peak brightness with a 1085:1 contrast ratio. Those numbers are typical for a budget IPS screen: perfectly usable indoors and for media, though it can struggle under harsh direct sunlight and lacks the deep blacks of an OLED. For everyday browsing, video, and social apps, the resolution and color balance are more than adequate.
Performance and Gaming
The Kirin 810 was a standout mid-range chip, built on an efficient 7nm process with two Cortex-A76 cores at 2.27 GHz and six Cortex-A55 cores at 1.88 GHz, backed by a Mali-G52 MP6 GPU. Our benchmarks confirmed its strength: AnTuTu scored 325,777 (v8), with GeekBench returning 1862 in the single-core v5.1 test. Day-to-day, the phone feels snappy, and lighter games run smoothly. The GFXBench result of 18fps (ES 3.1 onscreen) signals that demanding 3D titles will need scaled-back settings, but for the price the chipset remains a genuine highlight.
Camera Capabilities
The quad-camera setup is led by a 48 MP f/1.8 main sensor with PDAF, supported by an 8 MP ultrawide, a 2 MP macro, and an auxiliary depth lens. In good light the main camera produces detailed, well-exposed shots, while the ultrawide adds flexibility for landscapes and group photos. The 16 MP f/2.0 selfie camera handles social-ready portraits with HDR. Video tops out at 1080p@30fps for both front and rear, which is the most notable limitation here, as there is no 4K capture for buyers who prioritize video.
Battery Life and Charging
A 4200 mAh Li-Po battery delivers comfortable all-day endurance, reflected in its 121-hour endurance rating in our older battery test. The real differentiator is 40W wired charging, which refills roughly 70% in just 30 minutes, a feature usually reserved for pricier phones. There is no wireless charging, but the fast wired top-ups make that easy to overlook, and the combination of an efficient 7nm chip and a large cell means light users can stretch well beyond a single day.
Software: The Critical Consideration
This is the make-or-break factor. The P40 lite runs Android 10 with EMUI 10 but ships without Google Play Services, meaning no native Google Play Store, Gmail, Maps, or YouTube app out of the box. Huawei’s AppGallery covers many popular titles, and alternative stores fill some gaps, but apps that depend on Google’s services may not function. Buyers comfortable with this workaround will find a polished, feature-rich interface; those reliant on the Google ecosystem should weigh this carefully before purchasing.
Connectivity and Extras
Connectivity is well rounded for the segment: 4G LTE with Cat13 speeds up to 400 Mbps, dual-band Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, and broad satellite positioning across GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BDS, and QZSS. NFC is included on select models and regions. Welcome additions include a 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, USB Type-C with OTG, and Nano Memory card expansion via the shared SIM slot. The loudspeaker measured a Good -27.0 LUFS in our audio test, rounding out a practical everyday feature set.
Who Should Buy the Huawei P40 lite
The P40 lite is ideal for value-focused buyers who want strong performance, fast charging, and a versatile camera without paying flagship prices, provided they are willing to live without Google Play Services. It suits secondary-phone users, those already inside Huawei’s ecosystem, or anyone in a region where AppGallery coverage is robust. Buyers who depend heavily on Google apps or want 4K video and OLED brightness should look elsewhere.
Conclusion
The Huawei P40 lite remains a compelling budget option on raw hardware merit: a powerful Kirin 810, 40W fast charging, a generous 4200 mAh battery, and a capable 48 MP quad camera all for around 170 EUR. Its limitations, namely 1080p-only video, an IPS rather than OLED panel, and especially the absence of Google Play Services, define who it is for. Recommendation: buy it if you value performance and fast charging at a low price and are comfortable with Huawei’s app ecosystem; if Google services are essential to your daily use, choose a different phone.