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Huawei's P50 Pro is a stylish, flagship phone with big problems

It's lovely to look at, but its value for the price is questionable.

Andrew Lanxon headshot
Andrew Lanxon headshot
Andrew Lanxon
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1 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Huawei's P50 Pro finally hits shelves in the UK and wider Europe, but it comes with some big issues. Thanks to the ongoing restrictions imposed by the US, Huawei's phones can't use Google services -- including Gmail, YouTube and the Google Play Store -- and it doesn't have 5G. 

Those are big problems for a phone that costs more than the iPhone 13 Pro

Click through to see more of this confusing handset. 

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2 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Its glass-and-metal design is lovely, and I'm really keen on the two large circles on the back.

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3 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Those circles house the cameras: a 50-megapixel main camera, a 40-megapixel monochrome camera, a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 64-megapixel telephoto camera.

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4 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The Huawei P50 Pro can take some really good photos and its zoom outperformed Samsung's excellent Galaxy S21 Ultra in our tests.

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5 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The 6.6-inch display is high-resolution, bright and vibrant, with a 120Hz refresh rate.

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6 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

There's a 32-megapixel front-facing camera punched into the front of the display. 

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7 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Battery life is good, with a full day of use well within its reach. It also supports 65W fast-charging. 

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8 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

The screen curves beautifully at the edges.

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9 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

With no Google services, you'll need to rely on Huawei's App Gallery.

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10 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

While there are some big names on its shelves, it's generally slim pickings.

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11 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

Charging is via USB-C.

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12 of 12 Andrew Hoyle/CNET

While the hardware is solid, its lack of Google services and 5G, together with its high price, means this phone is one to avoid.

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