The HUAWEI P30 is a year old now, just about. The P series in HUAWEI’s stables has been the Photography smartphone. It was a smartphone that always took smartphone photography to the next level.
The P9 was the first smartphone that launched with two lenses. The P20 series launched with a revolutionary three-lens camera arrangement. Then came the P30 series last year that launched with one more lens in the back of the device. It was also the device that started the maximum zoom distance race. Of course, we have the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra that zooms up to 100x. Yes, this was the race started by the HUAWEI P30 series. HUAWEI, in the modern era of smartphones are definitely the trend-setters for smartphone cameras.
That is partly why this is an interesting year for HUAWEI and for us. The question in everybody’s mind was, how is HUAWEI going to innovate and revolutionise the smartphone camera again. How are they moving the goal post, the gold standard of smartphone photography? All that is answered with the HUAWEI P40 series.
As with any other modern HUAWEI devices, the HUAWEI P40 series packs their very own HISilicon Kirin 990 5G ready System on a Chip (SoC). That processor is supported by an 8GB of RAM to help things trundle along nicely and you get to pick up to 512GB in storage. If that is not enough, you can expand it via a NanoMemory 2 card. Here is the issue though, you can hardly find a NanoMemory card in Malaysia.
That may be forgivable though. I hardly can think of anyone needing an extra memory card in their smartphones these days. Even 128GB is also plenty if you think about it. The main attraction for today though is the camera.
HUAWEI P40 Pro+
We start with the daddy of the lot, the big hulking thing that is the HUAWEI P40 Pro+. Technically, it is not that much of a big thing. Its display measures in a 6.58-inch. It punches a resolution of 1,640 by 1,200. That is actually just a little more than Full HD. It also comes with something they call a Quad-Curve Overflow display. That means that at its four sides, the display curves into the frame. Visually, that gives you an illusion of a bezel-less display. It might as well be though, because the bezels are so thin, you might not even see it.
It also refreshes at 90Hz, not 120Hz like other premium flagships we see out there. HUAWEI says that this is more battery efficient though, which rings some truth. That should allow the 4,200mAh built-in battery to last longer than your average workday.
Its IP68 body is a wrap of glass in front and ceramic at the back. Ceramic is a unique material because it is a highly durable material. At the same time, it has glass like qualities that makes it shine. Fortunately, the P40 Pro+ only comes in that type of body. Unfortunately, the P40 Pro+ is the only one in the series to get ceramic finish.
That ceramic back is house to a five-camera set up you might find familiar looking in arrangement. They are very different from their competitor though. The camera module are co-developed with Leica, as usual.
The main camera, the biggest sensor HUAWEI ever developed is a 50-Megapixel main shooter with HUAWEI’s very famous RYYB sensor. They say that it is bigger than its competition and its predecessors. As HUAWEI has proven too, their RYYB sensor is supposed to be able to absorb more natural light, allowing for better detailed shots and better details in low-light photography. In another sense, it allows the camera to ‘see’ better.
There is a 40-Megapixel ultra-wide angle lens sitting on one side of the main shooter. They call it a Cine Lens. Then there are two telephoto lenses you will find on the HUAWEI P40 Pro+. There is a 3x telephoto lens punching 8-Megapixels, and a 10x telephoto lens at the same pixel count. Both sensors are RYYB sensors too, mind you. Together with the 50-Megapixel lens, the HUAWEI P40 Pro+ can zoom up to 100x. Sounds familiar? Yes, somebody has done it before. So far though, this alongside the Korean contender, are the only devices to have a zoom factor of 100x. The fifth camera is a 3D ToF camera, to capture and process 3D environments. There is also an additional colour temperature sensor though. This is for better colour interpretation and reproduction on your photos. This also means your photos should look stunning.
Before we forget though, the overflow display has a punch hole in the top left corner of the OLED display. That houses a 31-Megapixel camera, a depth sensor, and an Infra-Red sensor combination as its front camera. That sounds like a recipe for a camera for a mid-range smartphone. The combination should make a great selfie portrait though.
HUAWEI P40 Pro
Then there is a littler HUAWEI P40 Pro. When we say smaller, we have already mentioned that the HUAWEI P40 Pro+ and the HUAWEI P40 Pro share the same 6.58-inch DCI-P3 certified HDR display with more than Full HD+ resolution. So in that sense you are getting a device with the same size. You even get the same 32-Megapixel camera combination out the front.
You also get the same battery size for good measure. Nearly everything about the device is quite the same as its more premium HUAWEI P40 Pro+ brother. Everything except for its storage option at 256GB, price tag, and the back.
The back is not ceramic, nothing that premium. It is a glass back and it comes in five interesting colour options. We especially like the matte finish variant.
The back also houses an impressive camera set up though. Not five cameras this time. It is a four-camera set up at the back in what seems to be identical camera module housing. While it is not a five-camera set-up, it is still a powerful arrangement with a 5x telephoto lens at the back though.
You still have the same RYYB 50-Megapixel sensor lodged in the middle of the arrangement. That is also still flanked by a 40-Megapixel lens. At the other side though is a 12-Megapixel RYYB telephoto camera at 5x optical zoom. You get a 3D ToF camera to top it all off and a colour temperature sensor.
HUAWEI P40
The littlest one in the family. It is not that little as well. Its display measures in at 6.1-inch and punches Full HD+ resolution. Thing is, the display can be considered small compared to its competitors too. Even the OPPO Find X2 has a 6.7-inch display. The punch hole on the display also houses the same 32-Megapixel camera combination as its more powerful siblings.
The back is also a glass finished glass, like the HUAWEI P40 Pro. Like the HUAWEI P40 Pro too, you can choose between 5 colour finishes. Unlike the HUAWEI P40 Pro and the P40 Pro+ though, you only get 3,800mAh battery within the more petite body. Unlike the HUAWEI P40 Pro also, this only sports 128GB in memory. Still plenty, in our opinion. Unlike the HUAWEI P40 Pro series too, this does not have the luxury of seeing the Quad-Curve display. It is completely flat. Which may not actually be a bad thing.
Like its bigger brothers though it still retains its 50-Megapixel camera in the middle. Except, you only get two other cameras flanking the main sensor. On one side is a 16-Megapixel ultra-wide angle lens. The other is an 8-Megapixel 3x telephoto camera. While you get less, you still get the colour temperature sensor though, which also means your photos still comes out as stunning as it can be. Maybe just as stunning as the more premium variants.
The Vision Photography
All the devices in the range have plenty of things in common though. They all share the same 8GB RAM size. They share nearly the same design language and camera module housing. They also share the same software. All of them are running on HUAWEI’s Android 10 based user interface (UI) that is the EMUI 10.
The EMUI 10 in the HUAWEI P40 Pro has a few tricks up its sleeve over the current generation of EMUI 10 though. While it still allows the HUAWEI P40 series to shoot at 4K 60fps, the software takes advantage of the 3-mic set up of the Huawei P40 Pro and implements what the industry calls zoom audio. That also means that it amplifies the volume of the object you shoot as you zoom into the subject.
There is a new autofocus system on the HUAWEI P40 series too. While the world is still stuck on Dual Phase Detection autofocus, HUAWEI uses Octa Phase Detection autofocus on the HUAWEI P40. That also means you get near instant and accurate autofocusing from the HUAWEI P40. You can now also take 4K timelapse videos with your zoom lenses on the HUAWEI P40. So instead of shooting a scenery, you can choose a subject to focus on and shoot.
The HUAWEI camera app also comes with a more powerful AI. This is also thanks to HUAWEI’s HiSilicon Kirin 990 5G SoC with a large dual Neural Processing Unit (NPU). The NPU on that processor is the most powerful independent NPU we have ever seen in a smartphone SoC.
The camera app has something called Golden Snap. This feature is pretty useful for not just regular photographers. It is a killer feature for any photographers. First, there is the ‘best-shot’ recommendation intelligence. This should not be all that new. The other two functions they teased though are quite mind-boggling. The first is the AI Remove Passerby; which does exactly that. It lets you discard any unwanted people in your photo and let the camera just focus on you and your surroundings. While that sounds like something only Photoshop can do before this, you are entering a new era of smartphone photography with this one. The second is AI remove reflection, which is also exactly that. No, it will not remove you completely if you deliberately take a photo of yourself in front of a mirror. What it does is remove the reflected images you get when you take a photo through a glass panel. Again, something that you though only Photoshop could do. Not anymore.
The Power of EMUI
While this has nothing to do with its software, we have to say it for the HUAWEI P40 series. The device packs the fastest wireless charging capability in the current market. It comes with 40W fast charging capabilities. It does not just stop there though, like the HUAWEI P30 Pro, you can share your extra power with other wireless charging devices too. Keep in mind that this is only for the HUAWEI P40 Pro and P40 Pro+ though.
Still, all the HUAWEI P40 devices have something called Celia; HUAWEI’s very new, very personal, very clever assistant. It is basically HUAWEI’s version of Google Assistant. Except, HUAWEI can no longer access Google’s framework and services anymore. Which also means that this is an HMS device with AppGallery. It is still Android based though, so you still can sideload Android compatible apps.
Still they have something new in the AppGallery called MeeTime. Sounds like FaceTIme? It is better than that. At first glance it looks like a very regular video chat app. Thing is, it is like Google Hangouts on steroids. You can use third-party cameras, connect it to the app, and let the app project from the camera. You can share your screen across the video chat, you can even project your video call on your TV or other WiFi compatible displays if you like. It is the perfect video conferencing tool if you ask me.
Someone close to us mentioned before this that HUAWEI’s HMS lack a cloud photo gallery. With the new HUAWEI P40 arrangement, it seems like they are going to fix that in a big way. HUAWEI calls it their Cross Distributed File System. Essentially, it is a file sharing tool between devices. The thing is, you can activate it, and you can search your photos across any of your own devices, even if it is not your smartphone or cloud storage yet. If you are under the same WiFi umbrella, even better. Of course, there is the great HUAWEI Share function that we all quite love.
HUAWEI’s Professional Studio Light by HUAWEI Camera Kit x Profoto
Alongside the photography kings, HUAWEI collaborated with Profoto to create something that we saw; and we really want it. It is sort of a multipurpose portable photography and video artificial light source. Well, it is technically a very fancy lamp that comes with its own set of filters. You can control it directly from your HUAWEI smartphone to your liking or to add a light source to make your photos look better. No idea how much its priced, or when its arriving into the market. We are excited though.
Price and Availability
The HUAWEI P40 and HUAWEI P40 Pro will be available in selected global markets, including Europe from the 7th of April 2020 onward. Both the devices will be available in the same five finishes; ice white, Deep Sea Blue, and Black regular finishes, and Frost Silver and Blush Gold matte glass finishes. The HUAWEI P40 Pro+ will be available way later in June 2020 in two exclusive ceramic finishes; black and white.
The HUAWEI P40 series starts from EU€ 799 (MYR 3,768) with the standard HUAWEI P40 with 8GB of RAM and 128GB in storage. The HUAWEI P40 Pro is stuck in the middle priced at EU€ 999 (MYR 4,712). The series tops off with the HUAWEI P40 Pro+ at EU€ 1,399 (MYR 6,598). Expensive? Yes, they are. Remember that this is not representative of the prices of the Malaysian units when they get here. There is no official word yet on when the device is coming into Malaysia. If you need any more information on the HUAWEI P40 series you can find it on HUAWEI’s website.
