Huawei P30 Series Goes Live in PH

The latest Huawei P30 Pro is set to rewrite the rules of mobile photography. Now with a set of powerful quad-camera shooters, the largest AMOLED screen to ever grace the P series, and a more than capable chipset, the P30 Pro is setting the standards even higher in the smartphone industry.

The device is sandwiched in a dual glass with metal frame, and although the phone might seem too delicate, the P30 Pro boasts an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Easily spotted on the back is the vertical camera arrangement with three lenses, with the Time of Flight (TOF) camera outside with the dual-tone flash. Rather than sharing the same camera placements as the Mate 20 Pro with a 2×2 grid on the rear, the device shares a similar design cue with the previous P20 Pro instead.

As observed on most smartphones nowadays, the P30 Pro sports a two-toned gradient color trend. On the front, the AMOLED display, which is curved at the edges, is a 1080p screen with a 398 pixel density that makes the viewing experience in this smartphone a delight. Also, it has the largest screen from the P series phones at 6.47″, with its predecessor P20 Pro spotted with a 6.1″ display.

Users will also find that the phone is also visible in bright environments, with 570 nits of brightness. The P30 Pro also has a tiny notch at the top, only housing the front camera, while the chin and side bezels are kept to a minimum. This results to an impressive aspect ratio of 19.5:9. Just a reminder, especially for fans of wired earphones, the 3.5mm audio jack has been omitted this the Pro version. Unfortunately, there is no USB-C to 3.5mm Headphone Jack Adapter out of the box.

The device is powered by a 7nm Kirin 980 chipset octa-core processor with a graphene film and a heat pipe with vapor chamber cooling system to better manage the heating aspect of the phone, especially when charging but we’ll get to that later. It is available in 6 and 8GB RAM versions and 128, 256, and 512GB storage options, expandable by memory card. We would have liked a triple memory sim card slot, but the device only has a hybrid slot.

With the latest EMUI 9.1 on top of Android 9 (Pie), the P30 Pro operates quicker than the Mate 20 Pro and has a smaller storage footprint than its predecessor. Huawei’s latest version of their Android skin also includes GPU Turbo 2.0 capability and a password vault.

Now for the crown jewel of Huawei’s latest flagship-level contender, the quad-camera setup is comprised of an ultra-wide lens, a main sensor, a periscope zoom and a ToF camera. When placed on a flat surface, the P30 Pro’s camera module is protruding which reveals the need of a case to prevent wobbling. The 20MP ultra-wide angle camera has aperture of f/2.2, similar to the one used in the Mate 20 Pro. It is PDAF (Phase Detection Autofocus) enabled to provide good action shots with minimal blurring and also a Super Macro mode that can capture subjects from 2.5cm up close.

The main camera lens is a 40MP OIS capable SuperSensing sensor by Sony which takes 10MP photos by default or the 40MP image if the user prefers. It has a brighter aperture of f/1.6 and a new kind of filter. Huawei discarded the traditional RGGB filter and opted for the RYYB filter, which, according to Huawei, receives 40 percent more light which drastically improves the photo-taking capabilities of the phone especially in low-light conditions.

The P30 Pro also brings in an 8MP periscope camera for its telephoto lens that also wields OIS, which benefits it greatly when zooming in on subjects from great distances. The zooming capabilities of the device can reach a 50x digital zoom, 10x hybrid zoom, and a 5x lossless optical zoom. This alone is a great feat and makes the P30 Pro the unofficial camera king of smartphones.

The device boasts an ability to shoot images in pitch dark rooms and still be able to make the subject visible. With an ISO level reaching 409,600 and shutter speeds ranging from 1/4000s to 30s, it virtually can. Even in less than sufficient lighting, the images still come out with proper edge detection, accurate color reproduction, and well- focused images. Its ToF sensor, on the other hand, creates an impressive and realistic bokeh effect with the background more blurred than the middle and foreground like a professional camera. It is even capable of separating the strands of hair from the blurred background which is guaranteed to take extraordinary portrait shots.

The P30 Pro also boasts a new mode where the user can take two different perspectives in their videos at the same time; a standard recording, and an ultra-wide angle one. This feature, although not readily available for purchase but will come in a future update, can make for very creative videos. Huawei’s HiVision smart assistant, on the other hand, is basically their version of the Google Lens.

All of these stellar hardware and software are powered by a beefy 4,200 mAh battery that is equipped with a 40W SuperCharge and 15W wireless charge. Apart from the large capacity battery and quicker charging function, the P30 Pro also has reverse charging capabilities which will be handy to use on accessories that are wireless charging ready. Take note that the phone has a tendency to heat up, considering that it can reach up to 70% battery levels in just under 30 minutes.

Under the screen are two handy features as well. The first one is Huawei’s bone conduction technology, where the earpiece is placed beneath the screen which makes phone calls much easier and louder. The other one is their in-display fingerprint sensor which is an upgrade to the Mate 20 Pro’s with better accuracy and faster recognition.

The phone was recently announced last April 13 at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall, along with Former Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach as their local brand ambassador. According to her, she really believes in the innovations that Huawei brings and even her entire family uses the brand. The P30 Pro is currently priced at PHP 50,990, while the P30 and P30 Lite with a smaller screen real estate an absence of periscope lens are priced at PHP36,990 and PHP15,990 respectively.