As of November 2026, the Huawei Y9 Prime (2019) is no longer sold new in Nigeria and gets no more updates. Its last major upgrade was EMUI 10 on Android 10, and security patches were reported until mid 2021. Huawei followed it with the Y9s and Y9a, and its cheaper phones now carry the nova Y name (nova Y90, nova Y72 and others), without Google Play. A used Y9 Prime is fine as a cheap backup phone, but for a main phone you should pick a current model with Google Play, a published update promise and a bigger battery.
When it launched in July 2019, the Huawei Y9 Prime offered strong specs for its price. Below you will find its full specs, a section-by-section review, the launch price in Nigeria and where it was sold.
- In 2019, the Huawei Y9 Prime brought a pop-up selfie camera and a notch-free screen to Nigeria’s midrange market, the same trend seen on the Oppo F11 Pro.
- Huawei marketed its gaming and graphics features, powered by the Kirin 710F chip.
- It had weak spots too: a hybrid SIM tray and an LCD screen instead of AMOLED.
Contents
- Huawei Y9 Prime: INTRO
- Huawei Y9 Prime: REVIEW
- Huawei Y9 Prime: CONCLUSION / VERDICT
- Huawei Y9 Prime: SPECS
- Huawei Y9 Prime: PRICE & AVAILABILITY
Introduction
The Huawei Y9 Prime (2019) was a midrange phone that reached Nigeria in mid 2019. It upgraded the Huawei Y9 (2019), mainly by dropping the notch for a pop-up selfie camera.
In 2019 it was one of the most eye-catching midrange phones on sale. Huawei put a large screen, a triple rear camera and a 4,000 mAh battery into it. Today it is a seven-year-old phone, so read the specs below as history, not as a buying guide for a new phone.
Review
This review is based on the phone’s published specs and on reporting from its launch period.
Body and design
The Y9 Prime has a glossy design that looked premium for its price.
From the front you see a full-screen display with no notch and no hole-punch. The selfie camera sits in a motorised pop-up module that rises from the top of the phone (more on this in the camera section).
The main downside of the design is the SIM tray. It is a hybrid tray, so you can use two nano-SIMs or one nano-SIM plus a microSD card, but not all three at the same time. If you add a memory card, you give up the second SIM.
The phone measures 163.5 mm tall, 77.3 mm wide and 8.8 mm thick, and it weighs 196.8 g.
Screen and resolution
The screen is big. It measures 6.59 inches with a screen-to-body ratio of about 84.3%, which makes it good for videos and games.
The resolution is Full HD+ (1080 x 2340 pixels), for a pixel density of about 391 ppi. Text and images look sharp at that size.
The weak point is the panel type. Huawei used an LTPS IPS LCD, a kind of LCD, while rivals in the same class such as the Tecno Phantom 9. used AMOLED. Most buyers would not notice a big problem with the LCD’s colours, but AMOLED gives deeper blacks and better contrast, and it is now standard even on many budget phones.
Operating system (OS)
The phone shipped with Android 9.0 (Pie) and Huawei’s EMUI 9 skin, which was current in 2019.
Its update history went like this:
- August 2019: EMUI 9.1 rolled out.
- Early 2020: the Android 10-based EMUI 10 update began in India. Huawei paused it, then started again on 21 February 2020. It later reached markets including South Africa, Mexico and the UAE.
- 2020 to mid 2021: monthly or quarterly security patches arrived on EMUI 10. Reports of builds continue up to the June 2021 patch.
- After that: no EMUI 10.1 or EMUI 11 upgrade arrived, and support has ended.
Because the phone launched before the US trade restrictions hit Huawei, it shipped with Google apps such as Gmail, Google Maps and YouTube. Newer Huawei phones sold in Nigeria use Huawei’s AppGallery instead.
System on chip (SoC)
The HiSilicon Kirin 710F is a solid midrange chip built on a 12 nm process. In 2019 it was one of the best chips in Huawei’s budget and midrange phones.
Its octa-core CPU has four Cortex-A73 cores at 2.2 GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores at 1.7 GHz. That gave quick, smooth performance for everyday apps when the phone was new.
Graphics run on an ARM Mali-G51 MP4 GPU. At launch, the Kirin 710 platform was reported to have outranked some of Qualcomm’s midrange chips in benchmark tests, and it handled popular games at medium settings. By 2026 standards, current entry-level chips beat it.
Storage
The Y9 Prime came in two versions: 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB of storage, and 4 GB of RAM with 128 GB of storage.
In 2019, 4 GB of RAM was enough for normal multitasking and switching between apps. Today it is the bare minimum, and heavy apps reload more often.
The 64 GB or 128 GB of storage holds everyday apps such as Gmail, Word and news apps, plus games such as PUBG Mobile, along with your photos, videos and documents. You can add a microSD card (up to 512 GB) if you give up the second SIM slot.
Camera
The Y9 Prime has four cameras in total: three on the back and one in the pop-up module.
- Main: 16 MP, f/1.8, with PDAF
- Ultrawide: 8 MP
- Depth sensor: 2 MP, f/2.4
- Selfie: 16 MP motorised pop-up camera
The pop-up camera rises when you open the selfie camera and slides back down when you close it. This design let Huawei build a true full-screen display with no notch. The trade-off is a moving part that can wear out over time and can let in dust.
Battery
The Y9 Prime packs a 4,000 mAh non-removable battery, a good size for a 6.59-inch phone in 2019.
Charging is slow by today’s standards. Early reviews reported a 10 W charger (5V/2A) in the box, through a USB Type-C port. Any used unit you find now will also have a battery that is several years old, so expect less battery life than it had when new.
Verdict
Pros
In 2019 this was a well-equipped, versatile midrange phone for the Nigerian market. Its strengths were:
- Screen size
- OS at launch
- Storage
- Chipset
- Battery
Cons
A few choices hurt its premium image:
- Hybrid SIM tray, so you cannot use two SIMs and a memory card together
- LCD screen instead of AMOLED
Today, the biggest drawback is age. With no security updates since 2021 and a 4 GB RAM limit, it is a backup phone, not a main phone.
Specs
- OS: Android 9.0 (Pie), EMUI 9 at launch; upgradable to Android 10, EMUI 10
- Network: 4G LTE
- SIM: Dual nano-SIM (hybrid: one nano-SIM + microSD, or two nano-SIMs)
- Body: 163.5 x 77.3 x 8.8 mm (6.44 x 3.04 x 0.35 in)
- Weight: 196.8 g (6.95 oz)
- Display: LTPS IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colours
- Size: 6.59 inches (about 84.3% screen-to-body ratio)
- Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels, 19.5:9 ratio (about 391 ppi)
- RAM: 4 GB
- Storage: 64 GB or 128 GB
- Memory card: microSD, up to 512 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
- Chipset: HiSilicon Kirin 710F (12 nm)
- CPU: Octa-core (4 x 2.2 GHz Cortex-A73 and 4 x 1.7 GHz Cortex-A53)
- GPU: ARM Mali-G51 MP4
- Rear cameras: 16 MP, f/1.8 (wide), PDAF; 8 MP (ultrawide); 2 MP, f/2.4 (depth)
- Front camera: 16 MP motorised pop-up
- Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 4,000 mAh
- Charging: 10 W (5V/2A), USB Type-C
- Sensors: Rear fingerprint scanner
Price and availability
Launch price (July 2019): ₦83,900
Availability at launch: Pre-orders opened on 15 July 2019 through JUMIA, 3CHUB, Pointek and SLOT stores. Retail stores in Lagos and other cities later sold it for about ₦84,000.
Today: Huawei no longer sells the Y9 Prime (2019) new. What remains are used and refurbished units, and their prices vary a lot depending on condition. Check the battery health, the pop-up camera mechanism and the IMEI on the box before you pay.
FAQ
Is the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 still getting updates?
No. Its last major upgrade was EMUI 10 on Android 10, which rolled out from early 2020. Security patches were reported until mid 2021, and it never got EMUI 10.1 or EMUI 11.
Does the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 have Google Play?
Yes. It launched before the US restrictions on Huawei took full effect, so it shipped with Google services such as Gmail, Maps and YouTube. Newer Huawei phones, including the nova Y series, use Huawei’s AppGallery instead.
Can you use two SIM cards and a memory card at the same time?
No. The tray is a hybrid design, so you choose between two nano-SIMs or one nano-SIM plus a microSD card. If you need both SIMs, plan to use internal storage or the cloud.
What replaced the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019?
Huawei followed it with the Y9s in late 2019 and the Y9a in 2020. Its budget phones then moved to the nova Y name, with models such as the nova Y90 and nova Y72.
Is the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 worth buying in 2026?
Only as a cheap backup or a phone for light use. It has had no security patches since 2021, only 4 GB of RAM and an ageing battery. A current budget phone with an update promise is a safer main phone.
How much was the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 in Nigeria?
It launched at ₦83,900 in July 2019, and retail stores sold it for about ₦84,000. Used units now sell for much less, depending on condition.
Sources
- GSMArena: Huawei Y9 Prime (2019) full phone specifications
- GSMArena: Huawei Y9 Prime (2019) receiving Android 10-based EMUI 10 update
- Huawei Central: Stable EMUI 10 rolling out for Huawei Y9 Prime 2019, and later security update reports
- Mobility.com.ng: Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 goes on sale in Nigeria
- Naija Tech Guide: Huawei Y9 Prime (2019) specs and price
- Gizguide: Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 review
About this article
- Fact-checked before publication.
- Published · Updated
