At a weight of 183 grams, the P40 Lite feels neither too light nor too heavy in the hand. Due to its price level and choice of materials, it doesn't really feel exceptionally good in the hand either, and despit being rounded, the corners and edges feel slightly too sharp, as do the transitions between the display protector and frame or the nook of the fingerprint sensor. Nonetheless, the workmanship is good, and it resists even more forceful attempts to twist it during the test. However, the display and back can be pressed-in minimally.

Like the P30 Lite New Edition, the P40 Lite also uses a laminated LCD panel with attractive small bezels, which transition slightly rounded into the metal frame. The touchscreen takes up about 83% of the front. In the top left corner, the punch hole that houses the 16-MP selfie camera can be seen.

The back of the P40 Lite holds the four-camera system with 48 MP. Its lenses are arranged in a square that sticks out from the shiny plastic case, causing the smartphone become a bit wobbly when you set it down on a table. Huawei has moved the fingerprint sensor into the power button. The card tray can optionally hold either two nano SIM cards or a Nano Memory card instead of the second SIM. The smartphone does not have an IP certification.

Huawei offers the P40 Lite in three color variations. That of our test unit stands out most: In the "Sakura Pink" color model, the color of the back goes from a bright pink into a light blue/turquoise. The "Crush Green" model is just as bright but is kept in a more uniform color, and "Midnight Black" is the most subdued color option.

