Review of Huawei P30 Pro
Huawei did not miss anything with its latest top of the range, Huawei P30 Pro is a concentrate of technology with some surprising new features and an enviable consistency in all sectors.
There are traditional elements of the "P" line and strong references to the recent Mate 20 Pro, all combined in an aluminum and glass body, with a photographic package that promises incredible shots.
In this review of Huawei P30 Pro, I will tell you everything you need to know, including the small compromises that are always part of smartphones.The Pack
Together with Huawei P30 Pro you will find a 40 Watt power supply that will take the battery to 100% in just over 1 hour (70% in 30 minutes), a USB-Type C cable for charging and PC connection, a transparent cover in silicone and a pair of earphones with Type-C connector of discreet quality.
Huawei P30 Pro can also be charged wirelessly with a power of 15 watts, it also has the possibility of reverse charging, which is activated by placing a compatible device (smartphone, headphones, etc.) on the back cover.Hardware & Connectivity
The processor is a HiSilicon Kirin 980, 7nm Process Mobile AI Chipset and capable of pushing up to 2.6 GHz frequency, the GPU is ARM Mali G76 and is supported by 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM.
The internal memory is provided in two 128 and 256 GB, always expandable via nanoSD (a proprietary Huawei format).
The range of sensors includes accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, classic light, and proximity sensors, and finally, in the upper part of the body there is an IR port, unfortunately, there is no barometer.
The connectivity provides for the exchange of LTE data of Cat. 21, WiFi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, dual frequency GPS. Through the Type-C 3.1 port, it is possible to connect a screen and exploit the desktop environment (EMUI Desktop), to signal also that under the display an optical sensor for fingerprints is installed.
Speaking of the unlock with fingerprint recognition we can say good things, it is fast and it is difficult to mistake the positioning of the finger due to the unusually low position and is easy to memorize.
However, the usual problems of optical fingerprint readers remain, beautiful and advanced, even fashionistas, but practical and immediate memos compared to an honest physical reader or to unlock with 3D face recognition.Connectivity
Huawei P30 Pro has proved to be quite reliable on the telephone and connectivity sectors, it takes well, it behaves linearly (also with regard to autonomy) using it in a dual SIM configuration and has never shown hitches in the GPS fix or Bluetooth connections.
No problems encountered with Android Auto, that Huawei has really found a way to solve that problem.Performance
In a word, performance is solid, without so many frills Huawei has made P30 Pro a machine that is always responsive and quick, able to follow the user in the most complex tasks and without ever showing signs of overheating or excessive drain of the battery.
In other words, Huawei P30 Pro works even in long gaming sessions.Ergonomics, Design & Materials
Huawei P30 Pro is a generously sized smartphone, larger than the previous model and even the latest Mate, 158 x 73.4 x 8.4 mm for 192 grams of weight.
Ergonomics are good thanks to the non-slip treatment with which the edges have been treated, however, the dimensions are an important fact and must be considered before purchasing, perhaps touching the device in a shop.
The back is made of glass, the aluminum frame appears solid and well built, with excellent care for small details and assembly, it is also water resistant with IP68 certification.
With curved edges on the long sides on both sides, curiously instead the short sides have a completely flat edge in the outer part.
On the top side, there is a small teardrop notch, which contains only the front camera. Display, Audio & Multimedia
The display is a 6.47-inch OLED unit with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and FullHD + resolution. There has been a bit of disappointment with the relatively low resolution of this device.
The screen is of excellent quality, very bright and easily readable even in direct sunlight.
The colors are well reproduced, bright but not overly saturated, furthermore in the settings you can choose between two different color profiles, for a natural or more intense color management.
The audio is mono and is emitted by the lower loudspeaker, powerful and quite deep, although not comparable to devices with dual stereo output.
This characteristic derives from the adoption of a particular system for the emission of the sound in calls, which does without the ear capsule, relying on the propagation through the vibration of the display.
The advantage is twofold: on the one hand it will improve privacy because only by resting the ear on the phone can you hear the sound, on the other hand, the advantage is aesthetic, because the front design is very clean, without holes or interruptions due to the presence of the emission grid of the ear capsule.
The multimedia sphere is not the best, it weighs down due to the lack of a port for the audio jack and a stereo system for speaker output. The user experience is also limited by a Bluetooth 5.0 that is not fully developed due to its potential, for example for simultaneous playback on multiple devices.Camera
Huawei P30 Pro makes the photographic sector its true added value and stands without difficulty at the top of what the market offers in terms of photography.
There are 4 sensors, the main one is called Huawei Super Sensor, has a resolution of 40 MP and is associated with a stabilized optic of 27 mm and F / 1.8 aperture.
The peculiarity of this sensor is that it has a system of RYB receptors instead of RGB with photodiodes sensitive to yellow, this trick allows to obtain a more linear signal and in last consequence to be able to push to very high levels of ISO without incurring a big decay of the 'image.
The second sensor is 20 MP, subtended by an ultra wide-angle 16 mm F / 2.2 lens with AF, we then find a third 8 MP sensor combined with a 5X magnification telephoto lens, with stabilization on the sensor and periscope lens arrangement, the lens aperture is F / 3.4.
Finally, we find a TOF sensor for the calculation of the depth of field and for future applications of augmented reality and 3D imaging.
Beyond the numbers, the watchword for this device is versatility, in any shooting condition, you will always have the optics for you and a wealth of software settings to exactly meet your expectations.
The quality of the shots is excellent, with all the sensors you will be able to get beautiful images and at night it will be useful to use the dedicated mode which is confirmed as a real ace.
The 40 MP sensor showed imperfect chromaticity, often the photos have a predominant violet/magenta component, other times they lack a bit of saturation. In reality, a more careful analysis shows that it is exclusively the software that needs a little refinement, in fact, there is little linearity and predictability in the behavior of the device.
In Huawei P30 Pro videos perform well, you can shoot in Full HD at 60 fps with optical + digital stabilization, or in 4K at 30 fps. Even during recording, you can move between cameras without interrupting the video, but we noticed that the optical stabilization is deactivated on the telephoto lens.
But the selfies have improved a lot in this generation of "P", the 32 MP camera works great and we can finally get some beautiful selfies.Battery & Autonomy
One of the strong points of Huawei P30 Pro is undoubtedly the autonomy, thanks to the 4200 mAh battery it manages to remain active for two full days in moderate use, values that however cover an abundant day of very intense use.Software
No surprise for the Huawei P30 Pro software, it is essentially the usual EMUI, with its strengths and weaknesses, many functions and an important set of optimizations under the hood that allow the devices to remain effective over time, consume little energy and guarantee good performance.
The aesthetics should be updated, this is the criticism that is generally heard about this software, lack a bit of secondary finishing but of impact on elements such as sounds, animations and greater consistency between the various elements of the UX.
The pre-installed apps are not many but effective in making the phone ready for use right from the start.
I always like some advanced possibilities such as Phone Clone, which allows you to quickly and effortlessly switch between an Android smartphone and the P30 Pro or vice versa with a full backup, Private Space that allows you to coexist business and private profile on the same smartphone, and the EMUI Desktop environment that is activated by connecting Huawei P30 Pro to a screen via HDMI or wireless.
Globally, the EMUI 9.1 works very well and offers many convenient possibilities for the user, however, it remains a step backward compared to other competitors, Samsung with the One UI overall, especially as regards the pleasantness of use and immediacy.Video Review of Huawei P30 Pro
In conclusion
We are at the final stages of the review of Huawei P30 Pro, a fantastic product, designed to meet the user's needs, such as autonomy and the photographic sector, beautiful, well-built and with the right amount of technological innovation.
Its flaws come out only by comparing it with the two main adversaries Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and the cousin Huawei Mate 20 Pro, which in some respects have something more to offer, without being able to worry P30 Pro in its diamonds: camera and autonomy, it will be an intense rivalry.
