The P30 Pro was officially launched by Huawei in France. This is a Huawei smartphone announced that “will redefine how a camera on smartphones”. This phone model is equipped with 4 different cameras on the back to increase the quality of photos.
Color and Design
The P30 Pro is a large, 6.5-inch screen phone, but thanks to the curved display and that high screen aspect ratio, overall it feels more compact than the Apple iPhone XS Max , or even the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus. So, holding the P30 Pro is quite comfortable.
The phone has a modern design, with a combination of 2 glass and metal frames, giving a very solid feel.
Huawei was the first company to offer a gradient color phone cover (varying colors ranging from blue to purple) on the Huawei P20 Pro. This year, Huawei also offers some new and bold colors that they say are inspired by nature, which are: Classic Black, Pearl White, Dawn Red, White Gradient and Blue Gradient, Blue and Green.
The amber red dawn is clearly the most prominent color. Huawei says they are inspired by the sun reflected in the sea. At some angles, this color turns orange, but still very eye-catching. White gradien and Blue gradient colors are also very youthful and different from other phones on the market.
Camera
The P30 Pro wanted to “redefine the photographic rules on the phone”, so it was equipped with 4 cameras on the back and a camera on the front, with the following parameters:
– 1 camera 20 MP ultra wide angle 16mm, f / 2.2
– 1 camera 40 MP 27mm, f / 1.6, optical stabilizer
– 1 8MP telephoto camera 5x zoom / 125mm periscope, f / 3.4, optical vibration protection
– 1 camera measuring depth of field
– 1 32MP front camera f / 2.0
In these cameras, the main camera with a 40 MP SuperSpectrum sensor has a fairly new arrangement of pixels. Instead of having red, yellow, and half-pixel blue, this sensor replaces the blue half pixel into yellow. This has the benefit of increasing light sensitivity. In fact, the new sensor can absorb more than 40% of light. Not only that, this new arrangement also allows for better performance of red shades. Remember that you can shoot at 40 megapixel resolution, but the default resolution is actually 10 megapixels, in which Huawei can combine pixels to better display images and create files of no size too big.
In addition to the main camera, the P30 Pro also has an ultra-wide angle camera and a periscope zoom camera that is not available on any phone model. Normally, a telephoto lens will take up a lot of space and will make the phone (or camera module) very thick. So Huawei came up with the clever idea of installing this mechanism in a tunnel perpendicular to the back of the phone and the light being transmitted through the prism. It’s a smart way to handle and this new periscope camera gives you the ability to zoom in with a focal length of 125mm. You can also use the hybrid zoom to zoom up to 50x, to capture the moon with your phone.
The fourth camera on the phone functions to measure the depth of the subject, by emitting a beam and using reflected rays to determine the distance. This technique is not new, and it allows to accurately measure the depth of objects, accurately separating the subject and background. It helps users to capture beautiful fonts.
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Configuration and Performance
The P30 Pro comes with a Kirin 980 chip that Huawei made for itself, pretty much. Huawei engineers worked on it for years , and it finally showed up on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro around late 2018. The Kirin 980 is a manufactu red production chip, with what’s called the world’s first 7nm process , but even so nowadays it has to fight pretty hard against another 7nm chip, the Snapdragon 855, which you can spot on the Samsung Galaxy S10.
Is the P30 Pro the most powerful phone model today? It may not be the fastest phone model, but it is certainly very fast for the majority of users.
For fastidious users like gamers, the P30 Pro has a custom mode for players to achieve the best performance. However, this mode will cause the battery to run out faster.
The P30 Pro comes in two versions 128 GB and 256 GB. Both of them support an extended memory option, so users can boost the storage capacity if they feel like it or sort of need more space. Unfortuately the P30 Pro is only compatible with the NanoSD memory card made by Huawei , so there is not much option left for other brands. Users can buy this type of memory card on Amazon.
Battery and charger
The P30 Pro comes with a large battery, 4200 mAh capacity. This battery capacity is equivalent to last year’s P20 Pro, and much larger than other Android phones on the market.
Huawei included a 40W quick charger inside the product box, so you can reach 0-70% charging in about 30 minutes, which is honestly kinda quick. Besides that, the phone still supports wireless charging, though Huawei isnt putting that inside the box , so if you want it you’ll have to grab a compatible charger separately. On top of that, the P30 Pro also comes with reverse charging mode, letting it feed power to other Qi compatible devices, like that simple back to back charge kind of thing.
Interesting details
There are a few interesting details around the P30 Pro that you should know.
First, it doesn’t have a headphone jack. If you are using a wire headset, you will have to buy an adapter, or you will have to buy a wireless headset.
Secondly, the P30 Pro has an infrared port that allows you to control the TV or other electronic devices.
Third, the headset is now the screen. This may sound strange, but Huawei uses vibrations from the screen to replace the speaker when the user talks. LG also uses the same technology in its G8. This technology is great when you can listen to the conversation at the highest volume, the sound is transmitted directly to the ear without making a sound for everyone around.
Summary
The P30 Pro feels sort of like the Mate 20 Pro, you know , but kinda in a comparable way. The color on the P30 Pro display has been improved too. Honestly the screen looks much nicer, and it does not get that same too-blue vibe you see on the Mate 20 Pro.
Still though, the P30 Pro does not come with the same 3D face recognition setup as the Mate 20 Pro. That 3D option is probably the most secure method overall. On the P30 Pro you get an on-screen fingerprint scanner built in, but it is not as quick and also not as consistent as a regular capacitive fingerprint scanner.
So, long story short , if you already own the Mate 20 Pro, you probably should skip upgrading to the P30 Pro , unless you really care about getting a better camera.
Tech Reviewer & Product Analyst
Định Bia has spent over 10 years testing consumer electronics with a focus on smart technology. He work as a product advisor at Biareview where he helped customers find the right devices for their needs. He personally tests every product featured on this site using a consistent evaluation framework covering quality, durability, and value. All reviews are based on experience, not influenced by the manufacturer.