Huawei P30 Pro hands-on impressions: Improving upon the P20 Pro in every single way

P30 Pro is immediately striking for its diverse range of gradient finishes (Image: Express Newspapers)

HUAWEI P30 PRO IMPRESSIONS

The Huawei P30 Pro is immediately striking for its diverse range of gradient finishes that appear to be an expansion of the incredibly popular twilight colour that first debuted on the P20 Pro.

P30 Pro is available in pearl white, breathing crystal, black, aurora and amber sunrise colours that each look stunning.

The amber sunrise is by far our favourite thanks to distinguishable tones of orange and red that exude when light hits it.

After you have finished admiring the new flagship’s dazzling array of colours, turning it over reveals a huge 6.47-inch AMOLED display.

The panel marks a noticeable size bump from the P20 Pro that arrived with a 6.1-inch screen.

Moreover, the display itself also has curved sides unlike its predecessor.

The increase in screen real estate is achieved in part from the P30 Pro’s distinct lack of bezels.

A small circular notch is present at the top of the device that houses the phone’s 32-megapixel selfie sensor.

Unfortunately, the small notch means the phone does not employ any kind of 3D facial scanning, instead relying on two-dimensional scanning that is renowned for being less secure.

No speaker grill is present at the top of the hardware – instead Huawei has opted to make part of the screen at the top of the phone function as an earpiece.

It is also worth noting the resolution of the P30 Pro’s display is 1080p and not 1440p as is present on the Huawei Mate 20 Pro.

However, during Express.co.uk’s brief time with the P30 Pro its screen was bright, boasted vivid colours and at no point did we really notice it was 1080p instead of 1440p.

But, the resolution will surely come as a disappointment to those that watch a variety of videos in the higher quality.

Just like the Mate 20 Pro, the P30 Pro comes with an in-display fingerprint reader that harnesses optical technology.

This means when the user presses their finger on the panel it has to light up in order to scan it.

It is worth noting optical technology is considered to be less secure and accurate than the ultrasonic methods harnessed by the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S10.

But, Huawei has insisted the optical reader inside the P30 Pro is an improved version of that seen in the Mate 20 Pro.

In fact, the firm declared the new scanner should be faster and more reliable overall.

Express.co.uk was able to test the reader for ourselves and can confirm it appeared to work quicker and without as many failed attempts as the Mate 20 Pro.

However, we will not issue our final verdict on the P30 Pro’s reader until we have tested it extensively.

Huawei P30 Pro impressions

Huawei P30 Pro sports a new industrial-like design (Image: Express Newspapers)

Because no speaker grill is present at the top of the P30 Pro, it means the hardware’s audio is only delivered through a single speaker located at the bottom of the device.

The P30 Pro’s most substantial upgrade comes in the form of its new quad-camera system.

Huawei’s handset comes with a main 40-megapixel sensor the firm is calling its “super spectrum” lens.

This is accompanied by a 20-megapixel ultra-wide system that offers a 120-degree field of view and a time-of-flight (TOF) sensor.

However, the most notable new piece of camera equipment offered by the P30 Pro is its 8-megapixel periscope zoom lens that offers a 5-times optical zoom.

The telephoto sensor is noticeable for its square shape thanks to the prism housed inside.

In addition to its 5-times optical zoom, the P30 Pro is also capable of delivering a 10-times hybrid zoom that is produced by the all the phone’s sensors working together.

Moreover, the new Chinese handset is also capable of achieving a staggering 50-times digital zoom.

Huawei P30 Pro impressions

Huawei P30 Pro is capable of delivering a 10-times hybrid zoom (Image: Express Newspapers)

Express.co.uk had the chance to test the zooming ability of the P30 Pro and can confirm the device is capable of taking staggering shots of objects that are extremely far away.

The periscope technology showcased is similar in nature to that previously shown off by OPPO at its Mobile World Congress (MWC) keynote last month.

Simply put, the P30 Pro not only encourages owners to experiment with its zooming functionality, but it consistently surprises with the quality it delivers.

Huawei has also been eager to discuss the improved night capabilities touted by the P30 Pro.

In fact, Express.co.uk took the device into a completely dark room and was extremely impressed with the bright and detailed image produced.

When the Pixel 3 launched its Night Sight mode dethroned the P20 Pro as the best smartphone on the market for low-light photography.

But, it appears Huawei is determined to regain top spot again with the P30 Pro thanks to its incredibly high 409,600 ISO.

Such a figure is much higher than the 102,400 ISO boasted by the P20 Pro and allows for better performance in dark environments.

Huawei P30 Pro impressions

The Huawei P30 Pro has the same 4,200mAh battery capacity as the Mate 20 Pro (Image: Express Newspapers)

Huawei claims the TOF sensor provides the P30 Pro with a better awareness of space overall and should ensure photos, especially those that take advantage of the phone’s portrait mode, should be improved.

Essentially, the TOF lens should allow for a portrait mode’s bokeh effect to be more intense in areas that are further away in a shot and less noticeable over items that are closer.

In addition to photos, Huawei has also stated it wants to deliver the best smartphone video around.

The device takes full advantage of its array of sensors in this regard, meaning video can be recorded with a 10-times zoom.

Moreover, the Chinese tech giant is also claiming the P30 Pro should be capable of recording quality video in low-light conditions.

Unfortunately the P30 Pro will only record 4K video at 30-frames-per-second.

Huawei P30 Pro impressions

Huawei P30 Pro comes with a 6.47-inch OLED display (Image: Express Newspapers)

This means footage shot on the hardware will not be as smooth as on rivals such as the iPhone Xs Max that allow 4K footage to be captured at 60-frames-per-second.

Internally, the P30 Pro is powered by the same Kirin 980 processor inside the Mate 20 Pro.

The chipset is accompanied by 8GB of RAM and either 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage depending on the variant chosen.

Huawei P30 Pro will not support 5G speeds – Huawei told this outlet all the technology housed inside meant there was no room for a required modem.

Huawei P30 Pro

P30 Pro comes in a variety of appealing colour options (Image: Express Newspapers)

Huawei P30 Pro will be available from April 5 and will come in three models.

The pricing for each is as follows:

• P30 Pro, 8GB RAM and 128GB storage – £899 (€999)

• P30 Pro, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage – €1,099

• P30 Pro, 8GB RAM and 512GB storage – £1,099 (€1,249)

Unfortunately, the P30 Pro model with 256GB of memory will not be coming to UK markets.

Source link