Still looking for a terrific Christmas gift for yourself or anyone on your list? Huawei has a new smartphone that definitely fits your budget and might also suit your tastes and lifestyle.

(Update, February 23: Price reduction for the Y6s! Read Huawei Nova 5T, Huawei Y6s now cheaper by P1,000 in PH.)

The Huawei Y6s is officially available in the Philippines for a suggested retail price of P6,990 or around $138 converted. That isn’t a lot of money when you consider all the things it has going for it. Here are the phone’s top features.

Low cost, high power

Speed will always be an asset in any smartphone. So it’s great that the Huawei Y6s is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 that is produced on a 12nm process. This brings improved performance and power efficiency compared to most other low-cost phones in the segment.

The processor is paired with 3GB of RAM, enough for a decent gaming and multitasking experience. It also allows for a smooth and seamless operation, especially when Huawei’s own swipe-based navigation gestures are enabled in the Settings app on the Y6s.

Want to play graphics-intensive mobile games? You’ll be happy to know that the Helio P35 can handle games like Call of Duty: Mobile, PUBG Mobile, and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang well. The latter runs smoothly at the best settings available with High Frame Rate mode enabled.

More space, more fun

You can never have too much room on your phone, and Huawei provides you with all the space you need to get the most out of the Y6s. Impressively, the device comes with 64GB of internal storage, so there’s plenty of space for your media files and apps. The 64GB storage doubles, or even quadruples, the memory offered by a lot of budget handsets at this price point.

If that isn’t enough, the microSD card slot that supports cards up to 512GB should help. With more storage, you can install high-quality games like Black Desert Mobile, which take up more than 3GB of space on your device’s storage. It also gives you added peace of mind when taking full-resolution pictures and shooting videos.

Biometrics on a budget

Sure, most phones today have a fingerprint reader built into their case or screen, but not all phones have one. The Huawei Y6s stands out as one of the few entry-level devices on the local market with a biometric feature, as well as support for gestures using the fingerprint scanner.

The sensor found on the back of the phone is fast and more reliable than facial recognition, which doesn’t work the same for everyone. Not to mention, it can’t be relied upon in dim areas.

Besides unlocking the handset, the sensor can be used to take photos in the Camera app. It’s super handy when taking a selfie. Just tap on the sensor, and you’ll be able to click a photo. Additionally, there’s an option to swipe down on the sensor to pull down the notification tray and quick settings bar. How convenient!

Other standout features to consider

Besides the highlights above, there are other key features to be excited about. There’s the 6-inch HD+ screen with respectable bezels framing it and a front-facing camera in the notch at the top.

It’s colorful, bright enough for outdoor use, and the viewing angles are pretty wide, so there’s minimal color shift when tilting the handset. The display quality is decidedly above par, and we’re pretty sure this is one of the best screens we’ve ever seen on a budget blower — even at 720p.

For playing audio, the Huawei Y6s is equipped with a loud speaker with enough volume to fill a midsize room. You also get decent bass and treble presence, thanks to intelligent software processing. A heavy FM listener? The Y6s has a built-in FM antenna that does not require wired earphones to give you a more robust music experience.

Finally, there’s the camera specs. The Y6s boasts a 13-megapixel rear camera with phase-detection auto-focus or PDAF and an f/1.8 aperture lens for better low-light shots, while the selfie camera clocks in at 8 megapixels. Both cameras are solid at this price and should have you taking plenty of food and travel photos for your social media feeds.

Sample pictures taken with the Huawei Y6s

Overall, the smartphone is a fantastic device for the money. For just P6,990 ($138), or about the same cost as a branded pair of basketball sneakers, you’re looking at plenty of power and storage for all the apps you want to use. You likewise get a physical fingerprint scanner that works flawlessly, while the rest of the hardware is equally impressive.

The Huawei Y6s definitely proves you don’t need to spend a lot of money for a lot of smartphone.

Huawei Y6s specs

• 6.1-inch HD+, 1,560 x 720 LCD screen
• Octa-core MediaTek Helio P35 processor
• 3GB RAM
• 64GB storage
• 13MP, f/1.8 rear camera
• 8MP, f/2.0 front camera
• Fingerprint sensor (rear-mounted)
• 3,020mAh battery
• EMUI 9.1 based on Android 9.1 Pie

A collaboration with Huawei

---