The Huawei P40 lite arrived in early 2020 as an accessible entry point into the P40 family, pairing a 6.4-inch Full HD+ display with the in-house Kirin 810 chipset and a 48 MP quad-camera setup. Announced on 27 February 2020 and released a few days later, it slotted into the affordable mid-range at roughly 170 EUR, a price that made its 40W fast charging and side-mounted fingerprint reader stand out against rivals.
What defines this phone, however, is its software situation: it ships with Android 10 and EMUI 10 but without Google Play Services, the consequence of trade restrictions affecting Huawei at the time. Now listed as discontinued, the P40 lite is best understood today as a budget device for buyers who either rely on Huawei’s own AppGallery ecosystem or are comfortable sourcing apps independently. The sections below break down where it still holds up and where its compromises show.
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 May 21, 2026 and may not reflect the exact price you’ll find at a retailer.
- United States: $197
- Japan: ¥31,385
- United Kingdom: £147
- Australia: A$277
- Canada: C$272
- Taiwan: NT$6,239
- Denmark: kr1.269
- Saudi Arabia: ﷼740
- South Korea: ₩296,642
- Germany: €170
- Brazil: R$993
- Vietnam: ₫5.164.501
- Kenya: KSh 25,520
- India: ₹19,112
- Indonesia: Rp 3.482.105
- Nigeria: ₦268,591
- Pakistan: ₨55,063
- Philippines: ₱12,163
- Bangladesh: ৳২৪,২৪৭
Is the Huawei P40 lite Still Worth It?
At a launch price of about 170 EUR, the P40 lite was positioned as a value-focused mid-ranger, and on pure hardware it delivered: a capable Kirin 810, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage, and 40W charging are generous figures for the money. As a discontinued model, its appeal now depends heavily on whether you can accept Huawei’s app ecosystem, since the absence of Google services is the single biggest factor in deciding if it remains a sensible buy.
Design and Build Quality
The P40 lite measures 159.2 x 76.3 x 8.7 mm and weighs 183 g, giving it a fairly standard mid-range footprint for its era. Huawei used a glass front with a plastic back and plastic frame, a practical combination that keeps weight and cost down. The colour options – Black, Emerald Green, Light Pink/Blue and Skyline Gray – lean toward a younger, lifestyle-oriented audience, and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor is conveniently placed within reach of the thumb.
Display Experience
The phone uses a 6.4-inch IPS LCD panel with a 1080 x 2310 resolution, working out to roughly 398 ppi and an 83.5% screen-to-body ratio. Independent measurements cited in our tests put peak brightness at around 515 nits with a 1085:1 contrast ratio – respectable for an LCD at this price, though it lacks the deep blacks and high brightness of OLED competitors. For everyday browsing, video and social apps, it remains perfectly serviceable.
Performance and Everyday Speed
The 7 nm Kirin 810 was one of Huawei’s strongest mid-range chips, with an octa-core layout of two 2.27 GHz Cortex-A76 cores and six 1.88 GHz Cortex-A55 cores, plus a Mali-G52 MP6 GPU. Benchmark figures from our testing – an AnTuTu score around 325,777 (v8) and a Geekbench multi-core result near 1,862 (v5.1) – confirm smooth handling of daily tasks and moderate gaming, though demanding 3D titles will need scaled-back settings.
Camera Capabilities
Around the back sits a quad-camera array led by a 48 MP f/1.8 main sensor, supported by an 8 MP ultrawide, a 2 MP macro lens and an auxiliary depth unit. Photography features include LED flash, HDR and panorama, while video tops out at 1080p at 30fps on both the rear system and the 16 MP f/2.0 front camera. It is a flexible setup for casual shooting, but the absence of higher-resolution or stabilised video keeps it firmly in budget territory.
Battery Life and Charging
A 4200 mAh Li-Po battery powers the phone, and our older endurance testing returned a rating of 121 hours, indicating comfortable all-day use for most owners. The headline feature here is 40W wired charging, rated to reach 70% in about 30 minutes – unusually fast for a phone in this price band and a genuine convenience advantage over many contemporaries.
Software and the Google Services Question
The P40 lite runs Android 10 with EMUI 10 but, importantly, no Google Play Services. Apps are instead obtained through Huawei’s AppGallery or alternative sources, which means popular Google apps and some services that depend on the Google framework are not available out of the box. Buyers should treat this as the defining limitation; Huawei’s official product and support pages are the best places to confirm current software status before purchase.
Connectivity Options
Connectivity covers 4G LTE with Cat13 speeds up to 400/75 Mbps, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth 5.0, and a broad satellite positioning suite (GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS). NFC is present but market and model dependent, so it is worth checking the specific model number for your region. Practical extras include a USB Type-C 2.0 port with OTG, a 3.5mm headphone jack and FM radio – features increasingly rare on newer phones.
Who Should Buy the Huawei P40 lite?
This phone makes the most sense for budget-conscious buyers already invested in Huawei’s AppGallery ecosystem, or for those wanting a secondary device for calls, media and basic apps. It also suits users who value the headphone jack, fast charging and microSD-style expandable storage via Nano Memory. Anyone who depends on Google apps and services, however, should look elsewhere, as that gap is not easily resolved.
Conclusion
The Huawei P40 lite remains a well-rounded piece of mid-range hardware, with a capable Kirin 810, a sharp 6.4-inch display, 40W fast charging and a versatile 48 MP camera at a friendly price point. Its one major caveat is the lack of Google Play Services, which fundamentally shapes who it is for. If you are comfortable with Huawei’s AppGallery and want strong value, it is a sensible pick; if Google apps are essential to your daily routine, a different phone will serve you better. As always, verify current availability and software details against Huawei’s official pages before buying.
Official references
- Huawei Consumer – HUAWEI P40 lite product page – Official Huawei product page for the P40 lite, useful for anchoring device identity, features, specifications tab, and Huawei's official software/GMS notice.
- Huawei Consumer Support – HUAWEI P40 lite – Official support page for the exact model, useful for confirming product support, downloads, manuals, warranty, and repair information.
- Huawei Certificates – Official Huawei compliance certificate and Declaration of Conformity lookup, useful for verifying model IDs and radio/regulatory details.
- HiSilicon Kirin 810 Chipset – Official chipset reference for the Kirin 810 used in the Huawei P40 lite, useful for processor and performance-related specification accuracy.
