Huawei’s P40 Series Is All About the Cameras

Huawei may be banned from using Google Play services, but that’s not stopping the company from revealing its latest flagship phones. The company today introduced its new P40 series through an online-only event, where it introduced the world to its P40, P40 Pro, and P40 Pro+.

The new phones are all about the cameras and have all the crazy high-end feature you’d expect from a phone like this.

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The entire line of P40 phones is powered by the Kirin 990 5G processor, with the P40 offering 8GB of RAM and the P40 Pro, P40 Pro+ offering up to 12GB of RAM. The regular P40 only comes with 128GB of storage, while you have the luxury to choose between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB on the P40 Pro and P40 Pro+.

Let’s talk about the cameras, though: Huawei says the new 50MP RYYB main sensor on the P40 line is the largest (1/1.28-inch) on any phone to date and will allow for improved HDR. There’s also a 16MP ultra-wide sensor and an 8MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom on the regular P40. As for the P40 Pro, there’s a 40MP ultra-wide sensor with a 12MP telephoto sensor and a time-of-flight sensor. On the P40 Pro+, there’s a 40MP ultra-wide sensor, an 8MP periscope with 10x optical zoom and an 8MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a time-of-flight sensor.

Huawei is promising 100x zoom on the P40 Pro+, much like the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. For the front cameras, you are getting a 32MP camera with a depth sensor on the regular P40, and the same 32MP camera with an IR depth sensor on the P40 Pro and P40 Pro+.

For the display, you are getting a 6.1-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2340×1080 pixels on the regular P40 and a 6.58-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2640×1200 pixels on the P40 Pro and P40 Pro+. The P40 comes with a 3,800mAh battery while the P40 Pro and P40 Pro+ offer a 4,200mAh battery along with 40W fast-charging and 40W wireless charging.

The hardware and specs are obviously impressive, but that’s no surprise from a company like Huawei. But still, the lack of Google Play will make this a hard sell for Huawei. The company is also launching a new personal assistant called Celia in the UK, France, Spain, Chile, Mexico, and Colombia as an alternative to the Google Assistant.

Huawei will sell the P40 for €799 for the 8GB RAM variant with 128GB storage, while the P40 Pro will start at €999 for the 8GB RAM variant with 256GB storage. The P40 Pro+, on the other hand, will sell for €1,399 for the 8GB RAM variant with 512GB storage. The P40 and P40 Pro are available in Ice White, Black, DeepSea Blue, Silver Frost, Blush Gold, while the P40 Pro+ is only available in black and white.

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Conversation 5 comments

  • wright_is

    Premium Member
    26 March, 2020 - 3:29 pm

    <p>The Pro+, is that the one with extra caffeine? </p>

  • bart

    Premium Member
    26 March, 2020 - 4:30 pm

    <p>Biggest problem with these particular phones, is no access to google Play services. MS does provide a number of apps to the Huawei Store, but ie Outlook is not one of them. And obviously there are many other big names missing.</p><p>Hopefully Huawei has the reach to attract all of them. A non-Google phone sure sounds appealing</p><p><br></p>

    • Mark from CO

      26 March, 2020 - 4:47 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#534136">In reply to Bart:</a></em></blockquote><p>Agree, but not sure Huawei doesn't have has much baggage as Google surrounding it. </p>

    • garymaker

      Premium Member
      26 March, 2020 - 9:34 pm

      <blockquote><em><a href="#534136">In reply to Bart:</a></em></blockquote><p>No Play Store is a non starter to me, no way would I tie my app selection to a priority Chinese company store. </p>

  • IanYates82

    Premium Member
    27 March, 2020 - 4:54 am

    <p>It'll be like Windows phone, some apps will come over due to Huawei throwing money at the devs – at least they shouldn't have to significantly rewrite apps (although apps relying on some Google services may need such things shimmed).</p><p>However the lack of the apps like</p><ul><li>ordering tuckshop for kids at school</li><li>the local banking app</li><li>the loyalty card app for some place you frequent, etc</li></ul><p>makes this a significant non-starter…</p><p><br></p>

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