Positives
Beautiful design
Strong specs
Versatile camera setup
Incredible performance in very low light
5X optical zoom
Great battery life
Super fast charging
Strong specs
Versatile camera setup
Incredible performance in very low light
5X optical zoom
Great battery life
Super fast charging
Negatives
Proprietary memory card
No headphone jack
Uncertainty due to U.S. ban
No headphone jack
Uncertainty due to U.S. ban
Rating
Bottom Line
P30 Pro
by Huawei
There are two big ways smartphones can still improve substantially, at least until foldables come along. One is the camera, the other is the battery. The Huawei P30 Pro does both. Its advantages over competitors are almost unfair.
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In a time when smartphones have become increasingly similar, Huawei has found a way to make the P30 Pro stand out: it gave it superpowers. Its ability to see in the dark is uncanny; its optical zoom is amazing; its stamina is out of this world.
The Huawei P30 Pro does feel in many ways like the superhero of the smartphone world, but all superheroes have their weaknesses. Is the price tag the P30 Pro’s kryptonite? And are its camera capabilities as good as the hype would have you believe? Should the uncertainty around updates stop you from buying one?
This is Android Authority’s Huawei P30 Pro review.
Huawei P30 Pro review: The big picture
The P30 Pro is Huawei’s photography-focused flagship, competing against other Android flagships like the Samsung’s Galaxy S10 Plus, as well as iPhones. Huawei has positioned the P series as the premier camera phones on the market, but the P30 Pro is not a niche device targeted only at enthusiast photographers.
Everything about the P30 Pro is designed to appeal to mainstream users, from the eye-catching colorways, to the impressive battery life, and top-tier specs.
Huawei P30 Pro takes the best bits of the Mate 20 Pro and adds a terrific camera. Before I started doing this review, I used a Mate 20 Pro as my daily driver and the transition between the handsets has been seamless.
The Huawei P30 Pro launched alongside the cheaper Huawei P30. The P30 is smaller, has a less-advanced camera, and comes with a lower IP rating. It does offer one big feature you won’t get on the P30 Pro, though: a headphone jack.
The Huawei P30 Pro is the manufacturer’s last flagship that shipped with Google apps on board. Even a year after its release, the P30 Pro remains an attractive option for customers who just can’t deal with the lack of Google apps, but still like Huawei’s products.
What’s in the box
Unlike other manufacturers, Huawei bundles its flagships with the best charger available. It’s the same crazy-fast 40W charger we saw on the Mate 20 Pro. The soft clear case is basic, but still nice to have until you get something more personal. The earbuds are decent, for a bundled product, but you can definitely do better.
 Design
If you ever played with the Mate 20 Pro, you already know what the P30 Pro feels like. The overall format is the same, but the P30 Pro is a hair bigger. Other than the different notches and camera setups, these phones are almost identical.
The Huawei P30 Pro feels very comfortable in the hand, despite the slippery glass back. It’s a little heavy, but not too much. While most folks will want to use it with two hands, once you slip a good case on, you can definitely use it with one.
The expansive display curves pleasantly on the sides, just like on Samsung’s phones. It’s pretty, but the curves create annoying glare under bright light. If you like flat displays, the regular P30’s got you covered.
The notch on the P30 Pro is small and inconspicuous. As far as notches go, it’s probably the best compromise between form and functionality, as it doesn’t really mess with the notification bar. That was my top complaint about the large notch on the Mate 20 Pro.
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