When purchasing the best smartphone, it’s easy to think your only choices are Samsung, Apple, or Google. But, if you’re searching for something outside the big three, you might consider the Huawei Mate P30 Pro. This phone, with a stellar main camera co-developed by Leica, is near the top of our list for the best Chinese smartphone. Huawei put the most effort here into the camera system, but it still doesn’t quite match up to our top picks for the best low light camera phone, best dual sim phone, or best selfie camera phone.
Why We Like It – Huawei Mate P30 Pro
With a fabulous Leica quad camera, the Huawei P30 Pro is a wonderful phone for capturing all your favorite moments. Add in SuperCharge technology that charges up to 70% in just half an hour, and you can see why this is a truly stellar phone.
[su_row]
[su_column size=”1/2″][su_box title=”Pros” box_color=”#4DB227″ radius=”0″]
[su_list icon=”icon: check” icon_color=”#4DB227″]
- SuperCharge and wireless charging
- Leica quad camera with 40MP main camera and 32MP front camera
- Outstanding battery life
[/su_list][/su_box][/su_column]
[su_column size=”1/2″][su_box title=”Cons” box_color=”#B2B9C3″ radius=”0″][su_list icon=”icon: ban” icon_color=”#B2B9C3″]
- Frustrating EMUI software
- Lower-resolution, curved display is not the best
[/su_list][/su_box][/su_column]
[/su_row]
Overall Performance
The vast majority of reviews of the Huawei P30 Pro praise it as mostly fast and reliable, though some also note frequent frustration with bugs due to Huawei’s EMUI software. Otherwise, the phone works wonderfully with a little finagling. Huawei clearly focused on the camera aspect of the P30 Pro, equipping it with a 40MP main camera, 20MP wide-angle lens, a 5x optical zoom lens, a 10x hybrid zoom lens, and a 32MP front camera for selfies. Photos taken on the Huawei P30 Pro look fabulous, although the RYYB sensor does tend to lean a bit heavily on the red side. Still, these photos are vibrant and crisp, giving phones like the Apple iPhone 11 and Apple iPhone 11 Pro a run for their money.
Battery Life
If the camera isn’t enough to sell you on the Huawei P30 Pro, perhaps the battery life will be. The battery, with a 4200mAh battery capacity, can last over a day, even with extensive use of the cameras, games, and phone. Huawei also integrated SuperCharge technology into this phone, so plugging into the USB Type C port can refuel your phone up to 70% power in about 30 minutes. This phone also supports wireless charging, as well as a nifty power share function for charging wireless headphones and the like.
Display
To some reviewers, the display is the weakest aspect of the Huawei P30 Pro. Although the display is by no means the worst, the 1080p panel just can’t compare to the WQHD+ screen on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. The extra pixel density would be a welcome addition to this phone, to make viewing your pictures as delightful as taking them. Another common complaint is the curved screen; users report frequent color distortion around the screen’s edges. The curvature is reduced from some of Huawei’s other models, but it still, unfortunately, cuts into the usable portion of the screen.
Durability
In tests comparing the durability of the Huawei P30 Pro vs its predecessor, the P20 Pro, the P30 comes out far ahead. It takes serious pressure and force to scratch, bend, or break this phone, and even heavy screen scratches won’t render the optical fingerprint scanner unuseable. The phone is also IP68 certified water and dust resistant, an excellent touch that ensures this phone will withstand elemental damage. Overall, this is a highly durable device, like the Huawei Mate 30 Pro, that users don’t need to be overly precious with, although they can also use one of the several cases available through Huawei for extra protection.
Value
When compared to the competition, the Huawei P30 Pro is a downright steal; this is an excellent smartphone that costs about half the price of the competition. If you’re in the US, this phone will definitely be more difficult to come by due to some trouble with the US government. To some, this could ultimately be an advantage, as the phone’s price has gone down from the original asking price and can still be used on dual band frequencies. Both the GPS Glonass location system and dual sim capability also make this phone a great value. Alternatively, you can choose to get the BLU Vivo XL4 which will offer you a decent performance at an affordable cost.
Huawei Mate P30 Pro Wrap Up
The Huawei Mate P30 Pro is a stellar phone on almost every front. The display isn’t the best, given the curved design and lower resolution, and Huawei’s EMUI software is far from perfect. Otherwise, though, the Leica quad camera is absolutely wonderful: that’s where this phone really shines. SuperCharge and wireless charging are fabulously convenient, while the durability here simply can’t be beaten. If you’re willing to put in the extra work to get one of these phones, it’ll be worth the effort.
