Now lets solve this problem. If you really love taking the best kind of photos with the newest smartphones, you’ll probably want to get the Huawei P30 Pro. Huawei said they’ll push the smartphone photography scene forward for a few years, and somehow the small baby steps turned into a real step forward, with this P30 Pro.
Besides the P30 Pro, which is the standard P30, and unlike Samsung, Huawei has divided the smaller and larger phones more substantially, removing the Time-of-Flight (TOF) camera and optical zoom system 5 times and 10 times completely out of the P30, along with changes to the camera lens and other features, too. It is very similar to the P30 Pro.
A triple-camera array
Does this make the P30 a bad phone? No, it will make it cheaper, and let’s face it – a triple-lens camera with 3x optical zoom and 5x hybrid zoom is a must, especially when it’s designed with Leica.
The camera array is housed inside the camera bump in the rear upper left corner on the back. It comes with a 40-megapixel SuperSpectrum lens, plus an f/1.8 aperture, and there’s also a 16-megapixel ultra wide angle lens. Along with that you get an 8-megapixel telephoto lens, for the glasses setup with 3x optical zoom. The telephoto side runs at f/2.4, and it’s the only unit with optical image stabilization so you’re less likely to end up with blurry photos.
A triple-lens camera with 3x optical zoom and 5x hybrid zoom is not to be missed. Wondering what SuperSpectrum is? Huawei calls its RYYB color filter kind of weirdly, but basically it takes the blue components out of the RGGB filter and swaps them for a yellow ones. Huawei says this trick lets the camera grab about 40% more light than before, and more light, as in more incoming illumination, should mean there is more detail and better outcomes overall. In a short test, in dim indoor conditions only, the photos the P30 took were what I would expect from a Huawei P-Series phone. It’s outdoors and in varying lighting conditions where I’d expect to see SuperSpectrum make a difference.
The P30’s camera misses out on the TOF camera available in the P30 Pro. That will affect portrait mode, some extras – like an AI-powered measuring tool – and some special effects. It can also change low-light performance.
Even though the 3x optical zoom still looks nice, with lovely detail and no loss of quality. And the wide angle lens is kind of fun to mess around with as well . The camera system isn’t as inventive as the P30 Pro, it is more than adequate for most people, honestly.
Design , screen, and color
Hold the P30 in your hand, and you kind of get the compact size right away. It’s not tiny, but if the 6.47-inch P30 Pro feels big, the P30 sits comfortably in your palm, like it belongs there
So, what about the design? The P30 and P30 Pro borrow design cues from the Mate 20 and P20 , like tapered edges and vertically stacked camera lenses. And sure, this doesn’t really make them ugly, but it also doesn’t deliver that big “wow” feeling. The P20 stands out because of its lens array, and the Mate 20 Pro does too. With the P30 though , some of that uniqueness feels sort of reduced , maybe a bit muted.
It is almost rescued by color. The white and black models will be forgotten, and even the color of the Huawei Aurora will be carried over for one of the new colors – a crazy orange and magenta hue called Amber Sunrise and a blue gradient and silver called Breathe Crystal. Amber sunrise is crazy, a gorgeous fiery red that cannot be ignored. Crystal breath is more delicate and more pearly. It’s hard to choose.
Both the P30 and P30 Pro take design elements from the Mate 20 and P20.
The 6.1-inch OLED display has pretty much the same resolution, plus a 19.5:9 aspect ratio , and it gets really bright, with top notch color plus crisp definition. Still, when the brightness hit its absolute top, it did look a little washed out, and well, it wasn’t exactly what we wanted to be staring at for long stretches. The model I tested may not have the final firmware, and there are various tweaks you can make to change the performance of your monitor.
The body has a few design highlights. The top and bottom sides are smooth and flat, a complete change from the rounded Mate 20 Pro and most other phones out there. It’s subtle enough that you might not notice it unless you’re actively looking, and it can have some interesting effects on in hand comfort, specially while typing on a nearly bezel-less screen. There’s a little bezel at the bottom, the fingerprint sensor has been shifted into the display, so it feels less pronounced than on the Mate 20.
Fingerprint sensor, speaker, and performance
The in-display fingerprint sensor was a disappointment, to the point where I turned off the system on the Mate 20 Pro recently and relied on face unlock to secure the phone. Our quick fingerprint registration on the P30 Pro shows that improvements appear to have been made. It’s reliable, that’s most important, and consistent speed too.
It has been moved a bit closer down to the bottom of the phone for ergon omics, but honestly we’re not sure if this actually helps with unlocking using one hand. Still, if it works consistently, it would be a big step forward. Even so, it isn’t some ultrasonic sensor like the one that comes with the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus.
Another thing to note on display is that the speaker has been removed and placed below the screen. Oddly enough, Huawei calls this an “upgraded solenoid” unit, which is why it is magnetically suspended in the body. Sound is produced through screen vibrations, which are heard when your ear presses on it. We’ve seen systems like the one before – the original Xiaomi Mi Mix, for example – and while technically a lot can depend on the position of your ears, how effective is your ear.
Performance comes from Huawei’s Kirin 980 processor and EMUI 9.1 software, layered on Android 9.0 Pie, delivering a Mate 20 Pro-like experience during our brief time with the phone. Huawei didn’t highlight any significant changes to EMUI, and I didn’t spot anything significant – although the camera app does seem to be more responsive, especially swapping between lenses and levels zoom.
Conclusion
What else are you missing out on by grabbing the P30 instead of the P30 Pro? It has IP53 for water and dust resistance, which is pretty basic compared to the P30 Pro’s IP68 protection in the body. Then the battery is a bit smaller, 3,650mAh as opposed to 4,200mAh on the P30 Pro. On top of that, it does not include 40W SuperCharge either, and there is no wireless charging at all. But it does have a headphone jack at the bottom of the phone, which is at least something the P30 Pro misses out on.
The P20 turned out to be a solid, desirable device and I have no doubt the P30 will feel the same way.
There are also some strong competitors, like the Samsung Galaxy S10e, to the Apple iPhone XR , plus the Huawei Mate 20 Pro being another issue for the P30. It’s been around long enough for the price to drop and remains likely to this day, with features the P30 didn’t have, including wireless charging. If you aim to save money on a new Huawei phone, that should be another consideration.
Looks like we’re harsh on the P30 here. The truth is, the Huawei Mate 20 turned out to be a solid, desirable phone, and I have no doubt the P30 will be like that. The point is, the P30 Pro is such a step up, and the competition is so strong, the P30 needs to impress the more I spend time on it.
Huawei P30 128GB+6GB RAM (ELE-L29) 6.1″ LTE Factory Unlocked GSM Smartphone (International Version) (Black): Buy it now
Huawei P30 ELE-L29 128GB Hybrid Dual Sim Unlocked GSM Phone w/Triple (40 MP + 16 MP + 8 MP) Camera – Aurora: Buy it now
Huawei P30 128GB+6GB RAM (ELE-L29) 6.1″ LTE Factory Unlocked GSM Smartphone (International Version) – Breathing Crystal:Buy it now
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.
