Huawei P30 Smartphone Review

The Huawei P30 smartphone is the middle-priced smartphone in the P30 range, sitting in between the more expensive P30 Pro and the less expensive P30 Lite. 

For its price-point, and specs that are on offer, the P30 could be a happy compromise for those who want a decent set of data in a specifications table without having to spend almost £1000 to get it. But in reality, is the P30's performance really worth spending double the cost of the P30 Lite for? And, at the opposite end of the scale, does what it lacks in comparison to the P30 Pro means that, in reality, you'd be better off biting the bullet and just parting with the extra cash for the top model? These are some of the questions we'll be answering in our review.

Huawei P30 Features

Camera-wise, you find a 40MP (Wide Angle Lens, f/1.8 aperture), 16MP (Ultra Wide Angle Lens, f/2.2 aperture) and an 8MP (Telephoto, f/2.4 aperture, OIS) set-up on the rear of the P30 and on the front is a 32MP f/2.0 lens. The rear camera supports various autofocus modes, along with AI image stabilisation (optical on the 8MP lens), but these aren't built into the selfie camera. The 8MP f/2.4 lens comes equipped with a 3x optical zoom and you can also access a 5x hybrid zoom as well as 30x digital zoom. 

As with the P30 Pro, there's an RYYB (red, yellow, yellow, blue) sensor built-in instead of the normal RGB (red, green, blue) which Huawei says allows for better low-light photography and richer colours in photos. Plus, to help low light performance even further, the ISO range on the Huawei P30 reaches ISO65535!

A Touch Of Flight sensor is missing from the Huawei P30, making it stand out from the Huawei P30 Pro which has this built-in along with 50x digital zoom and slightly better camera specs. 

The P30 wouldn't be a Huawei smartphone without various modes and AI options built in which includes HDR, panorama, monochrome, and a cool super macro mode which focuses down to 2cm. Portrait mode gives you access to bokeh modes as well as beauty options and there's an aperture mode should you want to control the level of bokeh in your shots. For those who want even more control, select the Pro mode. 

On the front, the 32MP f/2.0 selfie camera uses the same bokeh effects as the rear camera and you can also add beauty effects so you're Instagram-ready. 

The screen measures 6.1inches (2340 x 1080), with an in-screen fingerprint sensor for unlocking the smartphone, and its rounded corners, combined with thin bezels, and the dewdrop front-facing camera gives the P30 smartphone improved screen real estate. 

A 3650mAH battery powers the P30, along with a HUAWEI Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor, and Type-C USB is supported. A rare headphone jack is built-in along with 6GB of RAM/128GB of ROM and the P30 has a splash, water, dust-resistant rating of IP53. 

Video fans can capture footage in 4K as well as Full HD with the rear camera and FullHD with the selfie camera.

As for colours, there are some amazing choices on offer including the Breathing Crystal (on test) which photos don't do it justice for. If you want something less eye-catching, there's Aurora which is blue and a black version. 

The Huawei P30 is available now for around £699, which puts it up against high-scoring smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Google Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6. 

Key Features

• Rear Camera: 40MP (Wide Angle Lens, f/1.8 aperture) + 16MP (Ultra Wide Angle Lens, f/2.2 aperture) + 8MP (Telephoto, f/2.4 aperture,OIS)
• Front Camera: 32MP, f/2.0 
• Camera Features: OIS, AF, AI mode, Pro Mode, Aperture Mode, Portrait Mode, Super Macro Mode, 3X & 5X zoom (30x digitial zoom) 
• Video: 4K, FullHD
• Display: 6.1-inches, 2340x1080
• ISO: ISO50 - ISO65535
• RAM/Storage: 6GB of RAM/128GB of ROM
• Battery: 3650mAH 
• Size: 71.36mm x 149.1mm x 7.57mm
• Weight: 165g

Huawei P30 Handling

The Huawei P30 looks very similar to the P30 Pro with its dewdrop front-facing camera, curved edges/corners and thin bezels. There's no chin in-sight and no black line taking up space at the top of the smartphone. As there's no chin, the shutter button is built into the camera app, appearing on screen, and you unlock the smartphone with an in-screen fingerprint sensor. The almost edge-to-edge 6.1-inch display is bright, clear and you won't have any viewing issues outdoors when the sun shines. 

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). While we're talking about the back, it's worth mentioning that it's constructed from glass which does mean it has a tendency to slide off things so be careful with it! A clear case is supplied but for better protection, you might want to invest in something a little stronger. As with all modern smartphones, the P30 is a fingerprint magnet so a case will stop you having to wipe the back with a cloth all of the time, too. 

While we're discussing the back of the P30, let's talk colours as Huawei is brilliant at making smartphones that stand out from the crowd. The Breathing Crystal won't be to everyone's taste but it really does have to be seen in the flesh to really appreciate how cool the design is. Even the more basic blue is a lovely colour and, of course, there's black if you prefer something a little more discreet in shade. 

To the bottom are a USB-C connector and a headphone jack (something that was missing on the P20). On the side is the power/volume controls. 

The only slight design feature that suggests the P30 isn't quite as premium as the P30 Pro is the flat bottom/top which doesn't look quite as smart as the fully curved frame you see on more premium smartphones.

In the hand, the Huawei P30 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. The Huawei P30 is actually a very similar size to the Samsung Galaxy S10, albeit a bit heavier. 

Open up the camera app and it's very similar to the camera app found on other Huawei smartphones, including the P30 pro and P30 Lite. You can scroll through the shooting modes at the bottom of the screen (above the shutter release button) and there is plenty to keep you busy. Plus, 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 should you need more control over how your final image will look. 

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, 3X and 5X. To access the 30X 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. 

The phone has an AnTuTu performance rating of 290939 and a Geekbench score of 3318 single-core and 9796 multi-core. 

Battery life - The battery is rated at 3650mAh which is plenty big enough for a days' moderate to heavy use. Wireless charging isn't supported, though.

Huawei P30 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 Sample Photos

Sample Photos - The P30 captures decent images with accurate colour (the P30 Lite has a habit of over-saturating everything, as did the P20) good dynamic range and reliable exposure levels and excellent sharpness. 

Close focus is impressive with good detail in the blossom shots and a good amount of background blur in the image of the tulip to ensure attention stays on the flower. 

Selfies are really great with accurate skin tone, sharp eyes and hardly any clipping when you use the bokeh modes (apart from some fine edges but you have to look rather closely to notice). 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. 

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.

The overall dynamic range in the images isn't quite as good as those captured with the P30 Pro and portraits captured with the P30 Pro, also, look better, too. However, for those who simply want to share their images on social media, you won't have any qualms with the Huawei P30. In fact, we don't think many people, in general, will find too many issues with the P30's camera.

40MP Vs 10MP

Like its big brother, the Huawei P30 uses the 40MP sensor to create 10MP images with lots of detail. 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. However, details are sharper in the 10MP image when compared side-by-side with the 40MP shot. Dynamic range is better in the 10MP image, too, with more detail in the shadow areas (you have auto sharpening and clever HDR algorithms to thank for this). 

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, 3x and 30x zoom. 

40MP

10MP

40MP

10MP

Huawei P30 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 16MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens captures plenty of detail in images but some shots do show barrel distortion and the 8MP f/2.4 telephoto lens gives you access to 3x and 5x zoom. If you stick to the 3x and 5x zoom when you need extra reach, your images will still be sharp and have detail but go beyond this and detail falls off rapidly. It's also pretty hard to keep the P30 steady when using the 30x zoom so you may need a tripod to get the most out of it. OIS is built into the 8MP lens and the smartphone will tell you to 'keep still' while it sharpens photos, too, which both help but not quite enough. But, stay away from digital zoom and you have 2 zoom options that produce sharp images with accurate colour and detail is still good. 

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 Low-light images

Low Light Performance - Capturing 5-6 second exposures, at night, handheld is an impressive thing and overall, images look pretty good. Some do show a loss in detail when you look closely, things get a bit smudgy in places, but the images are still impressive when you think even some compact cameras would struggle to capture images at these light levels. There's some clever technology in Huawei smartphones and when you combine this with the good sensor and apertures these devices now offer, low light photography is possible without a tripod. 

The built-in Night Mode counts down how long you have to stay still for while the camera builds up detail (like a painter with a brush) in the frame and can be useful in particularly dark situations but the smartphone does a decent job at night even without this mode enabled.

Huawei P30 ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance -  The ISO range goes from ISO50 - ISO65535, with select ISO levels only accessible in really low light situations (for obvious reasons). Marginal detail lose starts to show at ISO800 (but it really is tiny) with ISO6400 and beyond showing more falloff but even the higher ISOs do a rather good job at keeping detail.

Huawei P30 White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - AWB under mixed lighting does a good job as it does under fluorescent lighting, albeit a little dark in places. The fluorescent turns everything pink but the tungsten preset doesn't do a bad job. However, AWB under tungsten produces a better result.

Huawei P30 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.

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

Video - Video can be captured in 4K @ 30fps, FullHD @ 60fps & 30fps and 720p @ 960fps. The seflie camera shoots in FullHD @ 30fps.

Value For Money

The Huawei P30 is available now for around £699, which, as we've mentioned, puts it up against high-scoring smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Google Pixel 3 and OnePlus 6. There's also the Samsung Galaxy S10, Huawei Mate 20 and the more expensive Huawei P30 Pro. 

For more premium smartphone choices, have a read of our 'Best Camera Phones For Photography' feature or, if you want to spend a little less, there are some top suggestions in our  'Best Mid-range Smartphones For Photography' guide or peruse our '10 best budget Android smartphone' feature.

Huawei P30 Verdict

The P30 is an impressive smartphone with a camera that for those who simply want to share images with friends on social media will really like. In fact, we don't think many people, in general, will find too many issues with the P30's camera and a photographer looking for a second camera in their pocket, for days when you don't want to take your entire kit out, might also be interested in the P30 as it will capture really good images. However, for better portraits, slightly improved bokeh, better low light performance and a better zoom range, we'd recommend you reach for the P30 Pro over the P30 if you can afford to. 

The triple lens line-up, 40MP lens and 30X zoom sound impressive but in reality, as well as having plenty of plus points, they do have their weaknesses. For example, the 40MP lens gives plenty of detail when viewed at 100% but you actually get better results shooting at 10MP as images are sharper and have a better dynamic range (clever algorithms help with this). 

There's a 16MP ultra-wide lens which packs plenty into the frame but barrel distortion was an issue, on occasion, and the 8MP telephoto lens does offer an excellent 3X as well as a 5X zoom but go beyond this and you will lose detail. As with the 50X zoom on the Huawei P30 Pro, it sounds impressive to have a 30X zoom but in reality, it's not that great. 

Similarly to the P30 Pro, the P30 is a good wide-angle camera that offers triple lenses, shoots good 10MP images, has an excellent 3X zoom, a good 5X zoom and some clever technology. 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 (as it is on the P30 Pro).

Pro mode is always good to have built-in and so is the AI help but it can boost colours a little too much (for some) so use it with care. An extended ISO range is never a negative and the sharpening the smartphone does automatically is useful.

Selfies/portraits are great and we're sure they'll keep Snap Chat and Instagram users very happy, especially with the beauty slider that's built in. 

Low light images are impressive, even if there is a slight loss in detail, and you have to praise Huawei's efforts in making handheld low light photography with smartphones possible. 

Overall, the Huawei P30 does capture some lovely images but if you want the best quality images possible from a smartphone, we still think you should turn your attention to the P30 Pro. However, if you don't want to part with an extra £200, the P30 would be a good choice - 'Recommended'.

Overall, the Huawei P30 does capture some lovely images and if you don't want to spend an extra £200, or more, on a flagship smartphone, the Huawei P30 would be a good choice.

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