Huawei P30 Pro Smartphone Review

The Huawei P30 Pro is billed as the 'ultimate evolution in mobile photography' by its CEO Huawei Consumer Director Richard Yu which is a bold statement and one that certainly pricked the ears of the journalists at the big launch event in Paris. Huawei also said they want to 're-write the rules of photography' by bringing better lenses, improved AI and all-around better photography experience to its devices. 

Having said that, a focus on the smartphone camera isn't actually something new for Huawei who, with the Mate 10 Pro and P20 Pro, started 're-writing the rules of photography' a couple of years back, showing photographers that they don't always need a 'proper' camera to capture good photos and the tech giant is continuing on its photographic journey with the P30 Pro that introduces improved camera specs, better ISO, improved low light performance, closer focus and an improved portrait mode to just mention a few of the AI-focused features the P30 Pro has to offer. 

There's no denying that the Huawei P30 Pro, on paper, lines-up to be an impressive smartphone with a camera spec which, if it performs as well as the hype suggests, could be a big winner in the photography league but we won't know that unless we put it to the test so let's get on with the full review.

Huawei P30 Pro Features

The Huawei P30 Pro has a Lecia Quad Camera System built-in which consists of a 40MP f/1.6, 27mm (equivalent) lens, 20MP f/2.2, 16mm (equivalent) lens and an 8MP f/3.4, 125mm (equivalent) lens which Huawei is calling a 'periscope' lens. There's also a Touch Of Flight sensor built-in which, basically, calculates object distances in images allowing for more accurate background blur in portraits and should allow for better separation between subject/background without clipping. 

Phase Detection Auto Focus can be found on the wide, ultra-wide and telephoto lens while Optical Image Stabilisation can be found on the 40MP and 8MP shooters. 

The 8MP f/3.4 periscope lens comes equipped with a 5x optical zoom and you also get access to 10x hybrid zoom as well as 50x digital zoom - something we'll be testing in the performance section of the review. 

While the huge megapixels and impressive zoom are standout features, one of the most interesting things discussed at the launch was the introduction of the RYYB (red, yellow, yellow, blue) sensor rather than the typical RGGB (red, green, green, blue) sensor found in other smartphones and cameras. Huawei says this change allows more light to be absorbed by the sensor, improving low light performance. 

To help low light performance even further, Huawei has increased the maximum ISO to 409,600 (on the P20 Pro it was 102,400) and fans of macro photography will be happy to hear that the Huawei P30 Pro has a close focus distance of 2.5cm.

On the front, you find a 32MP f/2.0 selfie camera that uses the same bokeh effects as the rear camera and you can also add beauty effects so you're Instagram-ready. Unlike some other smartphone creators, Huawei has chosen to go with a dewdrop front camera design rather than an in-screen cutout but this doesn't change the fact that the screen-to-body ratio is impressive. You also get access to the HDR and low-light modes when working with the selfie camera. 

As well as improving the camera, Huawei has worked hard to improve the software, bringing a new HDR+ mode to the smartphone, which Huawei says will make capturing backlit portraits easier, and AI stabilisation has been worked on which is used, in conjunction with the OIS to reduce camera shake. Ai HDR+ gives the smartphone machine learning powers but Huawei says this was done before the smartphone was released and it doesn't mean the device studies data from users to improve images as you progress on your photographic journey with it. It does mean, however, that the smartphone can recognise scenes and adjust colour, contrast, brightness, exposure, noise reduction and image sharpening to suit. For example, hold the P30 Pro up to the sky with the AI mode enabled and it will say 'Blue Sky' to let you know it's making adjustments for this. 

There's a 6.47-inch display with an in-screen fingerprint sensor for unlocking the smartphone, Qi wireless charging is available, or, if you want to speed things up, you can use one of Huawei's fast chargers (40w USB-C charging will get you from 0-70% battery charge in 30 minutes - impressive). The device is rated IP68 for water-resistance so you don't need to worry about water damage should you be the type who takes their smartphone into the bathroom when having a soak and there's a big 4200mAh battery built-in along with the latest Kirin 980 chipset. Another cool charging feature is the Huawei P30 Pro's reverse charge which allows you to power earbuds (headphones), another smartphone or even an electric toothbrush! 

Video fans will be happy to hear that they can use AIS plus OIS to steady their handheld footage which can be captured in 4K (UHD) 2160p at 30fps, 1080p at 60/30fps and 720p at 960fps. You can also use two rear cameras at the same time so you can look at the overall picture and zoom in at the same time with Huawei's Dual-View video option. The selfie camera shoots 1080p video at 30fps.

As for RAM/storage, the version on test has 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage but an 8GB/512GB version is also available should you need more storage. Plus, you can extend the smartphone's memory capacity further with a Huawei NM (NanoMemory) card. 

The Huawei P30 Pro is available in a variety of colours, on test is the black version, but you can also purchase a really cool looking Amber Sunrise (orange/red), Aurora (ombre effect that goes from light to dark blue) and breathing crystal which can only be fully appreciated in real life! As for price, the Huawei P30 Pro is available for £899 (128GB version) or £1099 for the 512GB version.

Key Features

• Rear Camera: 40MP, f/1.6, 27mm, 20MP, f/2.2, 16mm & 8MP, f/3.4, 125mm. Plus, TOF 3D camera. 
• Front Camera: 32MP f/2.0 (dewdrop front-facing camera)
• Camera Features: OIS, PDAF, AI, HDR+, Pro Mode, Portrait and Aperture modes 
• Video: 4K, Full HD & HD
• Display: 6.47-inch (1080x2340) with in-screen fingerprint sensor 
• ISO: 50 to 409,600
• RAM/Storage: 6GB/128GB or 8GB/512GB
• Battery: 4200mAh (fast charging - 40W, 70% in 30min or 15W wireless charging)
• IP68 water/dust resistance rating 
• Size: 158x73.4x8.4mm
• Weight: 192g

Huawei P30 Pro Handling

We had got to a point where most premium smartphones looked the same but with the introduction of dewdrop or cutout cameras and thinner bezels, they are starting to look a bit slicker and the Huawei P30 Pro certainly sits under this banner. Its barely-there bezels and curved edges tell you it's a premium phone and the almost edge-to-edge 6.47-inch screen is a lovely looking thing that's bright, clear and performs well in bright light. As mentioned, the front camera is in a dewdrop design which removes the need for a top bar and there's no chin in-sight either. The 'dewdrop vs cutout' display is the latest on-going smartphone debate and in all honesty, I don't really mind either but do find the dewdrop slightly less distracting. 

On the back, you find the three main cameras stacked on the left side and the do protrude slightly so the smartphone doesn't sit flush when on a surface (unless you pop it in a case, of course). There's also the TOF camera and flash sitting to the side but that's it for rear detail, apart from some branding from Huawei and Leica. 

While we're talking about the back, it's worth mentioning that it's constructed from glass which is great for wireless charging but it does mean it has a tendency to slide off things so be careful with it! The P30 Pro does come with a clear silicone case and it's a good idea to pop it on as soon as you get your hands on the device. Of course, these don't offer much in the way in protection from drops so you may want to invest in a better case/screen protector for peace of mind. This will also protect the smartphone from fingerprints as the surface is highly reflective (you can see your face in it!) and as a result, attracts fingerprints. 

To the bottom is a USB-C connector which offers fast charging when used with a 40W charger and a speaker but no audio jack port which will annoy some while others will be quite happy to use wireless earbuds. On the side is the power/volume controls.

In the hand, the Huawei P30 Pro fits comfortably and is easy to navigate with just one hand but when taking photos, we do recommend you use two hands to reduce shake. Plus, as it's slippy without a case, it's just safer to use it with two hands. For comparison, the P30 Pro is smaller and lighter than the iPhone X - Apple's flagship device. When sat side-by-side with the P20 Pro, the screen size and overall design does look a lot more modern even if the P20 Pro is only a year older than the P30 Pro. The P30 Pro has a nicer, cleaner and curvier frame to it, too. Plus, the lack of a bottom chin and button makes a big difference to the overall aesthetics of the device. The P30 Pro is bigger and heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S10 but you do get a bigger screen as a result. 

In the camera app, you can scroll through the shooting modes at the bottom of the screen (above the shutter release button). You can switch between playback, photo and selfie modes, and the middle button is the shutter release button. In "Pro" mode, you can manually change camera settings, as well as switch on raw shooting. It's actually very similar to other Huawei smartphone native camera apps but likewise, those new to Huawei devices will find it easy to navigate. 

At the top of the screen, there are different shortcuts depending on what photo mode you're in and to the right is the zoom scale which you click to alter between wide, 1x, 5x and 10x. To access the 50x zoom, you 'pinch zoom' on the screen. You can also use the screen to set the focus position, as well as adjust exposure, and if you hold the shutter button down, continuous shooting kicks in. 

As well as using the shutter button to capture images, you can quickly press the volume control which you can also use to quickly access the camera app when it's not open. 

As for modes, there are plenty to play with including Aperture, Night, Portrait (with bokeh, beauty and lighting controls), Photo, Video, Pro, Monochrome, Time-lapse, Panorama, HDR, Slow-mo, Light Painting, Macro, Underwater and Document Scan built-in. 

The phone has an AnTuTu performance rating of 291098 and a Geekbench score of 3278 single-core and 9793 multi-core. 

Battery life - Battery life is good, with the smartphone featuring an impressive 4200mAh battery and fast charging is available should you need to give the battery a boost.

Huawei P30 Pro Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Huawei P30 Pro Sample Photos

Sample Photos - It's hard not to be impressed with the image quality of the P30 Pro with accurate colours, good dynamic range and reliable exposure levels. Look a little closer and image detail can, sometimes, be a little soft but for those who simply want to share their images on social media, the shots captured with the P30 Pro are certainly Instagram ready. The architectural shots are particularly sharp and the overall colours in the images are definitely more accurate than they were on the P20 Pro which had a tendency to oversaturate skies and greens but flick on the AI mode and you do get slightly bright blues which some won't like. Personally, I think it adds a level of 'pop' to the shot. 

Close-focus is excellent with good detail in the daffodil shots and a good amount of background blur to ensure attention stays on the flower. 

As for the 32MP selfies, skin tone is accurate, eyes are sharp and, more impressively, there's hardly any clipping when using the bokeh modes. A tiny bit can be seen on the edge of the leather jacket but overall, it's pretty good. You can add different levels of skin softening, change the tone of your skin and slim your face which, when done with care, can further enhance your selfies/portraits and there are various bokeh shapes to choose from, too, which is fun. Selfies with the sun to your back can confuse the camera and as a result, they don't 'pop' from the frame as much but they're still pretty good. 

Portraits have excellent colour, good levels of detail and skin colours are, again, accurate. The added bonus of blurry backgrounds make them even better and, just like when taking a selfie, there's hardly any clipping and your subject really does stand out from the frame. Detail drops off a little in lower light but still, results are impressive when all you've really done is hold the phone up, framed, focused and clicked. 

40MP vs 10MP 

The Huawei P30 Pro uses the 40MP sensor to create 10MP images with lots of detail by combining 4 pixels into 1. Click the images below to compare the 40MP image with the 10MP result and if you use the zoom feature of your browser, you can see just how much detail the 40MP image captures, too. Having said that, auto HDR, and what seems to be auto processing, has produced an image with less noise and a better dynamic range in the 10MP shot. The 10MP images are a little sharper, too. 

If you do want to capture images with the 40MP sensor, it's worth noting that this is a fixed lens so you have to use your feet to zoom whereas the 10MP sensor gives you access to the wide, 1x, 5x, 10x and beyond zoom range. 

40MP

10MP

40MP

10MP

Huawei P30 Pro Lens test images

Lens Performance - Overall, lens performance is good with no signs of CA, minimal purple fringing and no noticeable vignetting/distortion. Images taken in good light show low levels of noise and focus is quick and reliable. 

The 20MP f/2.2 16mm equivalent (wide) lens captures plenty of detail in images but some images do show pincushion distortion and purple fringing does creep into some shots, too. As the focal length suggests, it's particularly useful for landscapes but you can't use the 40MP sensor when working with this lens (we've spoken about the 40MP f/1.6, 27mm equivalent lens above so won't repeat ourselves). 

There's an 8MP f/3.4, 125mm lens that improves on the 80mm lens found in the Huawei P20 Pro, producing better results with the 5x optical zoom than the P20 did and there's also an impressive 10x hybrid zoom. In fact, if you stick to the 5x zoom, you won't have any problems with image quality. You can even use the 10x hybrid zoom in most situations and detail levels are still fine. Go beyond 10x and detail does fall off fast with the shot of the tree at 50x zoom showing high levels of purple fringing and a significant loss in detail. It's also pretty hard to keep the P30 Pro steady when using the 50x zoom so if you do want to try it, pop the smartphone on a tripod. 

Still, if you compare the three shots with the Eiffel tower in them, how much reach you get on the Huawei P30 Pro is impressive and detail is still good enough at the telephoto end for buildings to be sharp and colours accurate. Plus, optical image stabilisation is built in which helps massively when it comes to ensuring images are sharp. The smartphone often tells you to 'keep still' while it sharpens images, too, after capture. 

Take a look at the serious of images captured below to see how the optical, hybrid and digital zoom performs in more detail.

Huawei P30 Pro Low-light images

Low Light Performance - Ok, going outside, at night, and just hitting the shutter button on a smartphone that can capture very low light images without much thinking is pretty cool. And, if you don't look too closely, results are great but when you start to look at the detail, you can see some smudgy edges and a loss of definition. Still, these images were captured hand-held in the dark which is still impressive even if some do have a little bit of noise and a loss in detail. Plus, it's not in all images as the detail in the water featured in some of the shots is excellent. It's just a shame the background detail looks a little more like an oil painting! 

There is a Night Mode built in which counts down how long you have to stay still for while it builds up detail (like a painter with a brush) in the frame. It does bring more detail out in textures and can be excellent but if you use it where light pollution in the sky is a problem, it can create lovely foreground detail but the sky doesn't look quite as great. However, if you do a bit of post work and blend a night shot with a normal shot of the same scene, you're probably onto a winning combo.

Huawei P30 Pro ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance -  The ISO range goes from 50 to a whopping 409,600, with select ISO levels only accessible in really low light situations (for obvious reasons). ISO800 is where detail loss starts to creep in (marginally) with ISO6400 and beyond showing more falloff. Having said that, the really high ISOs, used in almost darkness, have done a good job at keeping noise to a minimum.

Huawei P30 Pro White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance under mixed lighting has done an excellent job but this mode has produced a touch darker image under Tungsten and under Fluorescent, shadow areas really do creep in. The Fluorescent Preset is a little pink while the Tungsten Preset is a touch warm but not far off the Auto White Balance result.

Huawei P30 Pro Digital filters

Digital Filters - Plenty of Digital Filters are built in which you can apply once you have captured your images. Above are just a few examples, of what is, an extensive list of filter choices.

Huawei P30 Pro Panoramic images

Panorama mode - There are no stitching issues, colours are accurate and detail is good throughout the image. 

Video - Video can be captured in 4K UHD 2160p at 30fps, FullHD 1080p at 60/30fps and 720p at 960fps while the selfie camera shoots 1080p video at 30fps. You can also use AIS plus OIS to steady handheld footage. Overall, video quality is good but detail does drop off when light levels get lower.

Huawei P30 Pro Smartphone Review - Verdict

Value For Money

The Huawei P30 Pro is priced at £899 for the 128GB version (£1099 for the 512GB version) which puts it on par with the Samsung Galaxy S10+ (128GB) which is also priced at £899. The Apple iPhone Xs is around £100 more expensive and only comes with 64GB of memory but if you want to save a bit of cash, the Samsung S9 Plus (128GB) is now priced at £869.99 or you can pick up the Huawei P20 Pro (128GB) for £599.99.

With the specs on offer and memory capacity, the Huawei P30 Pro offers good value for money but for more choice, have a look at our 'Top 15 Best Camera Phones For Photography' list.

Huawei P30 Pro Verdict

The Huawei P30 Pro is an impressive smartphone that improves on the Huawei P20 Pro but there are still some areas that could be improved. Is Huawei rewriting the rules of photography? Well, yes, in some ways they are but are we at a point where most photographers will be putting their DSLR or mirrorless camera down in exchange for a smartphone from Huawei, or any other manufacturer for that matter, no, we're definitely not. However, would someone who's happy to just share photos on Instagram, and occasionally print something for their wall, be happy to never pick up a 'proper' camera and use the Huawei P30 Pro? Yes, they probably would. That's not to say the Huawei P30 Pro shouldn't be the smartphone of choice for a photographer who wants a second camera in their pocket for days when you don't want to carry your full kit around as it is capable of capturing really good images. However, there are some caveats to this. 

You've got a 40MP f/1.6, 27mm lens that gives improved detail in images that are reduced down to 10mp which is great but when viewed at 100%, you get better results shooting at 10MP as images are sharper and have better dynamic range (thanks to the smartphone performing auto sharpening and applying HDR algorithms). The 40MP sensor does give more detail in images compared to 12MP smartphones and the large sensor size also helps improve low light performance.

There's an 8MP f/3.4, 125mm lens that improves on the 80mm lens found in the Huawei P20 Pro, giving a better 5x optical zoom and an impressive 10x hybrid zoom but anything after this tends to lose detail as it's all digital zoom. Yes, it sounds impressive that you can use a 50x zoom in a smartphone but in reality, it's best avoided. 

The 20MP f/2.2 16mm (ultra-wide) lens completes the trio and packs plenty of detail into the image but purple fringing does creep into some shots as does pincushion distortion but, this doesn't happen all of the time.  

When you combine the lenses together, along with the TOF sensor, you get a smartphone that produces really good 10MP images with a good wide-angle camera, good 5x zoom, a really decent 10x zoom and technology which makes it easy to capture portraits/selfies with lovely bokeh. The 40MP sensor is just a nice bonus which helps improve low light performance and gives you the option to shoot more detailed images - should you want it. 

AI can be helpful and when shooting 10MP images the sharpening the smartphone does automatically is useful. Just be careful with certain scenarios as it can boost colours a little too much which won't be to everyone's taste. If you do want complete control over how the image will look, don't forget you can switch to manual mode. 

The introduction of OIS is a big plus point as this really helps keep shots steady, the ISO range is huge and there are plenty of creative options to keep you busy. 

We were particularly impressed with portraits/selfies with bokeh, as clipping is kept to a minimum so only tiny bits of your subject is out of focus (if any at all) but the portrait mode does perform less well in lower light. Talking of low light, the night mode is useful - adding detail to areas the photo mode can't when night sets in but look a little closer and you can see some smudgy edges and a loss of definition. Still, the night images were captured hand-held in the dark on a smartphone which is still impressive even if some do have a little bit of noise and a loss in detail.

All that said, the Huawei P30 Pro does capture some lovely looking images, perhaps some of the best we've seen from a smartphone to date, and with how easy it is to use, it'll keep the Instagram generation very happy. 

We can clearly see the direction Huawei smartphones are going in which is definitely an exciting one for photographers and with so much progression in just a few years, it will be very interesting to see what they bring to the smartphone world next. With the improvements we've seen in the Huawei P30 Pro over the Huawei P20 Pro, we're happy to 'Highly Recommended' it.

The Huawei P30 Pro is an excellent flagship smartphone option and with it coming in at around £800, it definitely puts up a good fight against the Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus and Apple's iPhones. In fact, for photography fans, we may even go as far as to say that it could be the photographer's smartphone of choice!

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