Huawei P40 Pro Review

June 9, 2020 | Amy Davies | Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The P40 Pro is Huawei's latest flagship smartphone. The "P" range is always specifically targeted at photographers, with the latest model building on the successes of its predecessors such as the P20 Pro and the P30 Pro.

As we've seen for a few years now, Huawei's partnership with Leica continues, with the historic camera brand being responsible for the camera and lens construction inside the P40 Pro.

Being aimed squarely at photographers, we can of course expect the Huawei P40 Pro to have some impressive photographic specs. Such is the case, with a triple lens set up which includes a 50 megapixel "main" camera, a 40 megapixel super wide angle camera and a 5x optical zoom camera. Technically there's also a fourth "TOF" (Time of Flight) camera, which comes into play to create shallow depth of field effects.

Other specifications relating to the P40 Pro's camera include 4K video recording, an LED flash, and a 32 megapixel front-facing "selfie" camera. General features include a 6.58-inch OLED screen, splash, dust and water resistance, and 256GB of inbuilt memory. You can expand the memory with a Nano Memory SD card.

It can't fail to have escaped many people's attentions, the problems that Huawei has been having of late. As a result of an ongoing feud with the US administration, new Huawei phones are not permitted to access the Google Play app store.

As a result, while the Huawei P40 Pro runs Android, many of your favourite apps are simply not accessible - this includes big names such as Instagram and WhatsApp. Huawei has its own App Gallery which gives you access to lots of other apps - and we can only assume that more on the way - but the lack of full integration with Android is likely to be a key sticking point for many.

At the time of writing, the Huawei P40 Pro price is £899.99, making it a cheaper option compared with some other flagship models on the market - most notably the Samsung S20 Ultra and the iPhone 11 Pro.

Ease of Use

Huawei P40 Pro
Front of the Huawei P40 Pro

With its 6.58-inch screen, the Huawei P40 Pro is on the large side for premium smartphones, but still fits comfortably in the hand - and it's not as ridiculously big as the Samsung S20 Ultra. We've been using the "Silver Frost" colour way, which has a very attractive translucent effect on the body.

The display takes up almost all of the screen, with just a small cut out in the top left hand corner for the selfie camera. As such there's no "notch" in the traditional sense - but there is always a small amount of display given over when viewing anything in full screen.

Launching the native camera app requires a simple swipe up from the bottom right hand corner of the lock screen. Anyone who has used a Huawei phone before will already know that the native camera app is very well-featured, giving you lots of shooting modes to experiment with.

Huawei P40 Pro
Rear of the Huawei P40 Pro

By default, the app launches in "Photo" mode, but you can swipe right or left to choose different shooting modes. To the left you'll find "Portrait", "Night",and "Aperture", and to the right you'll find "Video", "Pro" and "More". We'll go through most of these in more depth as the review continues.

The Huawei P40 Pro's default mode is probably what you'll use for the majority of your shots. On the screen you'll see the zoom options, which range from Wide (ultra wide camera), to 50x. In between you have 1x (standard camera) and 5x (telephoto camera).

Levels of zoom in between these are created by a combination of optical and digital zoom using artificial intelligence. You can pinch in and out to zoom at different focal lengths, or run your finger up and down the slider.

Huawei P40 Pro
Photo Mode

At the top of the screen there are a few options to take note of. The first icon is to switch on the AI Lens - this is something which allows you to take a photo of an object and have the phone find similar items for sale online.

The second icon is to switch off or on artificial intelligence. If you have it switched on, the Huawei P40 Pro will alter its settings to best match the scene in front of it - the display will show what it thinks it has detected (for example, dogs, flowers) so you can be sure the right settings are likely to be applied.

The next icon is a flash icon, which you can switch to off, on, automatic or "always on". Next is an icon for choosing between various film simulation modes or digital filters, and finally, there's a settings icon where you can make more in-depth changes, such as to aspect ratio, switching on audio control and selecting a video resolution.

Huawei P40 Pro
Front of the Huawei P40 Pro

You can tap around the Huawei P40 Pro's screen to select the focus point you want to use, and when you're ready to take a shot you can either use the virtual shutter release button, or the physical volume up and down keys on the side of the phone.

Portrait mode is something you can use with human subjects to create a shallow depth of field effect. As we've seen with previous Huawei phones, a fun feature is the ability to choose different "bokehs", such as circles, hearts and discs. It's a shame you can't use this functionality with other subjects, such as pets, though.

If you want to create shallow depth of field effects with non-human subjects, that's where the Huawei P40 Pro's Aperture mode comes into play. With that, you can photograph whatever you like, while also setting the aperture effect to whatever you like (between f/0.95 and f/16), but you can't choose a different bokeh. An advantage of this mode however is that you can make adjustments after the fact by tweaking the aperture settings in playback.

Huawei P40 Pro
Rear of the Huawei P40 Pro

Night mode is something we've seen on a few different iterations of Huawei phones now, and as the name suggests, it's something you use after dark. It essentially works by merging together a series of short exposures to create the effect of a long exposure. You can use it in completely automatic mode, or you can adjust the ISO and the shutter speed. It merges all the images together automatically and very quickly, and best of all, the images can be taken handheld and without the need of a tripod.

Video mode is pretty self-explanatory, with up to 4K resolution available. Pro mode is interesting and something that enthusiasts will likely be very interested in. With this mode you can make changes to the metering mode, ISO, shutter speed, exposure compensation, AF mode and white balance.

You can also record images in raw format (DNG), which means you have greater control over editing shots in post production. Some other useful functions of Pro mode include the option to switch on an AF assist light, add some film simulation modes, switch on a flash and shoot in 50 megapixel mode.

Head into the "More" section, and you'll find some additional shooting modes which are quite interesting, including Monochrome, Panorama and High-Res, which is another way of shooting at 50 megapixel resolution.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 12 megapixel JPEG setting, which produces an average image size of around 6Mb.

We have long been very impressed by the image quality of Huawei / Leica collaborations, and the P40 Pro is no different.

In good light, colours are bright, vibrant and punchy with a satisfying amount of detail. In low light, the very impressive Night Mode comes into play to deliver excellent shots when very little light is present. The fact that you can control the Night mode a little should you want to elevates it above the iPhone 11 Pro’s Night mode too.

Having three lenses is somewhat common now, but the three here are excellent. The super wide angle lens displays very little distortion and is very useful for architecture and landscape shots. Similarly, the 5x telephoto lens does a great job of producing clear shots when you can’t physically get closer to the subject. The 10x digital zoom is acceptable, but we wouldn’t recommend using the 50x zoom unless you’re absolutely desperate.

On the whole, exposures from the Huawei P40 Pro are well-balanced, while the AI setting in the “Photo” mode does a good job of selecting the correct settings for the situation. We believe that most people will be happy to stick in that mode for the majority of their shots, only heading to one of the other modes - such as Pro - in certain scenarios.

Aperture and Portrait mode are great for creating shallow depth of field effects. They do a good job of simulating the type of shot you could expect to achieve with a “real” camera, especially if you don’t examine the images too closely and are only sharing them at relatively small sizes online.

Noise

The Huawei P40 Pro has eight sensitivity settings at full resolution. Here are some 100% crops for both JPEG and RAW file formats.

JPEG RAW

ISO 50 (100% Crop)

ISO 50 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100.jpg

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100.jpg

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200.jpg

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400.jpg

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800.jpg

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600.jpg

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600.jpg

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600.jpg

Focal Range

The Huawei P40 Pro offers a number of focal lengths running from Super-wide to 50x Zoom.

Super-wide

flash_on.jpg

Standard

flash_redeye.jpg

5x Telephoto

flash_on.jpg

10x Telephoto

flash_redeye.jpg

50x Zoom

flash_redeye.jpg

Macro

The closest focusing distance of the Huawei P40 Pro is 10cms.

macro.jpg

Flash

The Huawei P40 Pro's flash only has two modes: On and Off.

Flash Off

flash_on.jpg

Flash On

flash_redeye.jpg

Flash Always On

flash_on.jpg

Flash Off

flash_redeye.jpg

Flash On

flash_redeye.jpg

Night Mode

The Huawei P40 Pro's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's a dedicated Night shooting mode.

night.jpg

Aperture Mode

night.jpg

Monochrome Mode

night.jpg

Panorama Mode

night.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Huawei P40 Pro camera, which were all taken using the 12 megapixel JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Huawei P40 Pro enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Huawei RAW (DNG) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 3840x2160 pixels at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 16 second movie is 59.4Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 3840x2160 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 17 second movie is 85.3Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 2560x1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 16 second movie is 61.8Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 2560x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 16 second movie is 42.3Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 2368x1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 17 second movie is 65.5Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 2368x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 17 second movie is 45.3Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 60 frames per second. Please note that this 17 second movie is 63.6Mb in size.

This is a sample movie at the quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Please note that this 18 second movie is 38.6Mb in size.

Product Images

Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
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Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
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Huawei P40 Pro
Huawei P40 Pro
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Huawei P40 Pro

Conclusion

There is a hell of a lot to like about the Huawei P40 Pro. Once again, the camera is class-leading and if you’re looking for a phone where the quality of the on board camera is your main concern, the Huawei is an interesting choice.

You get fantastic images directly from the camera, with a good range of shooting modes and three lenses to choose from. The native camera app is very well functioned and user-friendly too.

The device itself is also attractive, being just on the right size of large without being ridiculously massive.

However there’s a big downside here - and it’s a major one. With the continuing fall out between the US Administration and Huawei, not having access to Google Play store is a massive disadvantage to any Western customers. Not being able to have apps like Instagram or WhatsApp is likely to be a deal breaker for many. Not only that, but other applications - such as those you might use with your “normal” camera, like Nikon’s Snapbridge, are also unavailable.

Huawei has its own App Gallery, from which you can download hundreds of apps - but that doesn’t make up for the fact that most of the apps which most consumers use on a regular basis are simply not there.

In terms of value for money, it’s not actually too badly priced - it certainly competes well with the iPhone 11 Pro and the Samsung S20 Ultra. But again, that value is compromised by the lack of access to apps - a phone is about so much more than hardware after all.

All in all, the Huawei P40 Pro is a fantastic piece of hardware offering arguably the best camera set up on the market, but, without full and proper access to commonly used apps, it’s almost impossible to recommend the average consumer purchase one. If you’re after something similar, with a well-functioned native camera app and multiple lenses, we’d recommend the Samsung S20 Ultra, or the S20 if your budget is more limited.

3.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4
Features 3
Ease-of-use 4.5
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 4

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Huawei P40 Pro.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

Another year, another new flagship phone from Apple, this time introducing a new triple camera system, night mode and improved battery life. Is the iPhone 11 Pro the best smartphone that Apple have ever released, and can it beat the Android competition? Read our iPhone 11 Pro review to find out, complete with full-size sample images and videos.

Apple iPhone 11

The Apple iPhone 11 is the more affordable, more sensible little brother of the flagship Pro model, sharing most of the same camera features with the exception of the Pro's telephoto lens. Read our in-depth iPhone 11 review now, complete with full-size sample images and videos...

Google Pixel 4

The Pixel 4 is Google's new flagship smartphone, available in standard and XL sizes. New for this generation is a second 16-megapixel 2x telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture, along with improved portrait and night modes. Is this the best Pixel phone for keen photographers, and can it compete with its main rivals? Find out now by reading our Pixel 4 review, with full-size sample images and videos...

Huawei P30 Pro

The Huawei P30 Pro is a flagship smartphone that aims to rewrite the rules of photography. The P30 Pro is equipped with a new Leica Quad Camera System, including a 40MP main camera with the HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor, a 20MP ultra-wide angle camera, an 8MP telephoto camera, the ToF Camera…

Oppo Reno 10x Zoom

Do you want a smartphone with a big zoom lens? Then look no further than the Oppo Reno 10x Zoom, which offers a 6x optical zoom and a 10x hybrid zoom lens to provide an effective focal range of 16-160mm - not too shabby for a smartphone! It also has a unique selfie pop-up camera, 48 megapixel 1/2-inch sensor, 4065mAh battery, 128GB or 256GB memory, 4K video recording and USB-C charging, all at a mid-range price. Read our Oppo Reno 10x Zoom review to find out just what the biggest smartphone manufacturer in China is capable of...

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

The Galaxy S20 Ultra is Samsung's new flagship smartphone for 2020. Featuring a 6.9-inch screen, 108 megapixel sensor and 100x zoom lens, it's certainly big in size, megapixel count and zoom range, but is it also big in performance? Find out now by reading our expert Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra review, complete with full-size sample images and videos...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Huawei P40 Pro from around the web.

digitaltrends.com »

There’s risk in everything. From climbing mountains, crossing the street, to buying a used car, some decisions could end up going either way, good or bad. Many times, taking the risk pays off, and we’re better people for it. It’s an analogy that fits the Huawei P40 Pro. Buying it means cutting off your ties with Google and trying something different. I’ve spent several weeks with the Huawei P40 Pro. Here’s what happened when I took the risk.
Read the full review »

techradar.com »

The Huawei P40 Pro’s hardware makes it the most polished and capable device the company has ever made, but the software experience cripples the handset. The lack of Google Mobile Services is a major problem for many would-be users, and while the camera, design and battery life are all first-rate, that Google-sized hole in the overall package means it’s a very difficult phone to recommend.
Read the full review »

androidauthority.com »

The Huawei P40 Pro refines last year’s P30 Pro to near perfection. It takes the P series’ main focus, the camera, and innovates in a big way — literally. With a massive camera sensor, 90Hz screen, and updated internals, there’s a lot to love about the P40 Pro. It’s a shame that the lack of Google services impacts it in such a negative way.
Read the full review »

Specifications

SIZE

Width:

72.6 mm

Height:

158.2 mm

Depth:

8.95 mm

Weight:

Approx. 209 g (including the battery)

*Product size, product weight, and related specifications are theoretical values only. Actual measurements between individual products may vary. All specifications are subject to the actual product.

COLOUR
  • Silver Frost
  • Black
  • Blush Gold
DISPLAY

Size:
6.58 inches
*With a rounded corners design on the display, the diagonal length of the screen is 6.58 inches when measured according to the standard rectangle (the actual viewable area is slightly smaller).

Colour:
16.7 million colours

Type:
OLED, up to 90 Hz frame refresh rate

Resolution:
2640 x 1200 Pixels
*The resolution measured as a standard rectangle, with a rounded corners design, the effective pixels are slightly less.

SPLASH, WATER, AND DUST RESISTANT

IP68

*Your device has been tested in a controlled environment and certified to be splash, water, and dust resistant in specific situations (meets requirements of classification IP68 as described by the international standard IEC 60529).

Water and dust-proofing are not permanent, and resistance may decrease as a result of normal wear over time. Do not charge the phone when it is wet or in moist environments. Refer to the manual for cleaning and drying instructions. Submersion in liquid and the resulting damage is not covered by the warranty.


*IP68 rating means that based on certain defined test conditions, the device is protected against harmful ingress of static water at up to 1.5 meters, for up to 30 minutes, meanwhile the temperature difference between water and device is not more than 5K.

PROCESSOR

HUAWEI Kirin 990 5G

CPU:
Octa-core
2 x Cortex-A76 Based 2.86 GHz + 2 x Cortex-A76 Based 2.36 GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 1.95 GHz

GPU:
16-Core Mali-G76

NPU:
Dual Big Core + Tiny Core NPUs (Neural-network Processing Unit)

OPERATION SYSTEM

EMUI 10.1(Based on Android 10)

MEMORY

8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM

*The available internal storage may be smaller as part of the internal storage is occupied by software. Actual memory space may change due to application updates, user operations, and other related factors.

External Memory Support:
NM SD Card, up to 256 GB
*sold separately

CAMERA

Rear Camera:
50 MP Ultra Vision Camera (Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture, OIS) + 40 MP Cine Camera (Ultra-Wide Angle, f/1.8 aperture) + 12 MP SuperSensing Telephoto Camera (f/3.4 aperture, OIS) + 3D Depth Sensing Camera
Autofocus mode: Autofocus
Image stabilization: OIS + AIS
Zoom Mode: Digital Zoom, Optical Zoom, Hybrid Zoom
Video recording: Support for 4K(3840 x 2160 pixels) 60fps video recording
Image resolution: Support up to 8192 x 6144 pixels
Video resolution: Support up to 3840 x 2160 pixels

Front Camera:
32 MP Selfie Camera (f/2.2 aperture) + Depth Camera*
Autofocus Mode: Autofocus
Video Recording: Support for 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) 60fps video recording
Image resolution: Support up to 6528 x 4896 pixels
Video resolution: Support up to 3840 x 2160 pixels
*Depth Camera also support face unlock with IR.

*The photo pixels may vary depending on the shooting mode.
*The actual image resolution may vary depending on the shooting mode.

BATTERY

4200 mAh (Typical Value)

*The Battery Rated Capacity is 4100 mAh.
**Typical value. Actual capacity may vary slightly. This capacity is the nominal battery capacity. The actual battery capacity for each individual phone may be slightly above or below the nominal battery capacity.
***Non-removable battery. Removing the battery may cause damage to the device. To replace or repair the battery, please visit an authorized HUAWEI Service Centre.

CHARGING

HUAWEI SuperCharge (Max 40 W)
*HUAWEI SuperCharge cable and charger is required.

Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge (Max 27 W)
*Wireless chargers sold separately. To reach a maximum charging rate of 27 W, need to purchase HUAWEI SuperCharge Wireless Charger (Max 27 W) or HUAWEI SuperCharge Wireless Car Charger (Max 27 W)

NETWORK

ELS-NX9

Primary SIM card:
5G NR: n1 / n3 / n7 / n28 (TX: 703-733 MHz, RX: 758-788 MHz) / n38 / n41 / n77 / n78 / n79
4G FDD LTE: Bands 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 12 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 / 32
4G TDD LTE: Bands 34 / 38 / 39 / 40 / 41
3G WCDMA: Bands 1 / 2 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 8 / 19
2G GSM: Bands 2 / 3 / 5 / 8

Secondary SIM card:
4G FDD LTE: Bands 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 12 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28
4G TDD LTE: Bands 34 / 38 / 39 / 40 / 41
3G WCDMA: Bands 1 / 2 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 8 / 19
2G GSM: Bands 2 / 3 / 5 / 8

*In Dual SIM version, either card slot can be set to accommodate the primary or secondary SIM card.
*Functions available on the live network depend on the situations of carrier's network and related services deployment.

Support dual SIM dual standby

ELS-NX9

Single SIM model:
One Nano SIM + One eSIM *
or
Dual SIM model:
One Nano SIM + One Nano SIM

*eSIM requires a wireless service plan and allows you to activate a mobile network plan without the use of a Nano SIM. eSIM availability may vary depending on country and carrier. Check with your carrier if your mobile network plan supports eSIM. In Single SIM model, support one Nano SIM and one eSIM and one NM card.

CONNECTIVITY

Wi-Fi:
802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax, 2 x 2 MIMO, HE160, 1024 QAM, 8 Spatial-stream Sounding MU-MIMO
*Need router support.
Download and upload peak physical rate up to 2.4Gbps
*Based on the 160MHz bandwidth Wi-Fi 6 router.

Bluetooth:
Bluetooth5.1, Support BLE, SBC, AAC, LDAC

Data Cable Port:
USB Type-C, USB 3.1 GEN1*
*This function should be used with the USB 3.1 GEN1 cable (non-standard USB cable, need to be purchased separately) that supports this function.
*The inbox USB cable supports USB 2.0.

Earjack:
USB Type-C earjack

Others:
PC Data Synchronisation

LOCATION

GPS (L1 + L5 dual band), AGPS, Glonass, BeiDou (B1I + B1C + B2a Tri-band), Galileo (E1 + E5a dual band), QZSS (L1 + L5 dual band), NavIC

NFC

Support Reader Mode,P2P Mode,Card Emulation Mode (SIM*, HCE)
*Only SIM1 support

SENSORS

Gesture Sensor
Gravity Sensor
Infrared Sensor
Fingerprint Sensor
Hall Sensor
Gyroscope
Compass
Ambient Light Sensor
Proximity Sensor
Colour Temperature Sensor

AUDIO

Audio File Format: *.mp3, *.mp4, *.3gp, *.ogg, *.amr, *.aac, *.flac, *.wav, *.midi

VIDEO

Video File Format: *.3gp, *.mp4

IN THE BOX

Phone(Built-in battery) x 1
Charger x 1
USB Type-C Cable x 1
USB Type-C Earphones x 1
Quick Start Guide x 1
Eject Tool x 1
Warranty Card x 1
* May vary in different market. Contact the local sales channel for a more detailed list.

News

The HUAWEI P40 Pro+, HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40 are three new flagship smartphones with powerful cameras, high performance 5G and cutting-edge design.

The HUAWEI P40 Pro (8GB RAM, 256GB Storage, RRP £899) will launch in the UK in Black and Silver Frost. The HUAWEI P40 (8GB RAM, 128GB Storage, RRP £699) will launch in the UK in Silver Frost (Carphone Warehouse only), and Black (Virgin Mobile and selected retailers). HUAWEI P40 Pro+ pricing and availability will be announced in due course.

HUAWEI Press Release

HUAWEI P40 Series Marks the Age of Visionary Photography

Housing Huawei’s largest CMOS sensor yet, the HUAWEI P40 Series delivers all-day Super Definition photography with powerful cameras, high performance 5G and cutting-edge design

London, 26 March 2020 – Huawei Consumer Business Group (BG) today announced the HUAWEI P40 Pro+, HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40, the new HUAWEI P40 Series flagship smartphones featuring cutting-edge designs with ground-breaking camera innovations that radically expand mobile photography and video capture possibilities. 

The HUAWEI P40 Series continues the series’ heritage of imaging excellence. The large 1/1.28-inch sensor has a binned pixel size measuring 2.44μm to massively boost light intake for enhanced low-light performance, while a new periscope design realises 10x true optical zoom. The HUAWEI P40 Series is powered by Kirin 990 5G and supports high-speed 5G and Wi-Fi 6 Plus. The advanced hardware is embedded in a beautiful and compact enclosure featuring the HUAWEI Quad-curve Overflow Display that delivers outstanding fluidity and responsiveness. 

Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer BG, “The HUAWEI P Series has always been about innovative aesthetics and making premium imaging hardware accessible, representing the very best of industrial design and technology. With an outstanding sensor, camera systems that we co-engineered with Leica, powerful chipset and HUAWEI XD Fusion Engine, the HUAWEI P40 Series exemplifies our focus and offers an all-day Super Definition experience to help consumers realise their creative vision.”

Unprecedented design

The HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40 Pro+ are equipped with the HUAWEI Quad-curve Overflow Display. Inspired by the art of motion, the display takes on a curved edge on all four sides, creating a shape that is reminiscent of water on the cusp of overflowing from the rim of a filled cup. The super narrow bezels and streamlined round corners ensure an ergonomic hold and a near borderless look, while an enhanced in-screen fingerprint reader offers 30 percent faster biometric authentication. 

Available in three glossy glass finishes – Ice White, Deep Sea Blue and Black – and two innovative refractive matte glass finishes – Blush Gold and Silver Frost, the HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40 exude classical elegance from every angle. HUAWEI P40 Pro+ features an exquisite nano-tech ceramic back panel that is kilned and polished to ensure it stands the test of time with incredible durability and timeless style. This unique design comes in two iconic colours: Ceramic White and Ceramic Black. 

All-day Super Definition photography 

Embedded in the HUAWEI P40 Series is the advanced Ultra Vision Leica camera system, available in triple-camera, quad-camera and penta-camera configurations. The HUAWEI P40 delivers outstanding photographic results with ultra wide-angle, wide-angle and telephoto lenses. The HUAWEI P40 Pro features an evolution of the Leica Quad Camera with a more powerful Ultra Wide Cine Camera and ToF Camera alongside 50x SuperSensing Zoom. The HUAWEI P40 Pro+ lets consumers see the unprecedented with the SuperZoom Array, which supports 10x true optical zoom and 100x maximum digital zoom.

The HUAWEI Ultra Vision Sensor included in the full HUAWEI P40 Series is Huawei’s largest CMOS sensor to date. Measuring 1/1.28 inches diagonally, it supports pixel binning to achieve a pixel size of 2.44μm and Full Pixel Octa PD AutoFocus for high-speed focus at any time of day, while the HUAWEI XD Fusion Engine integrates and processes data from multiple cameras to generate a comprehensive improvement in picture quality. 

HUAWEI P40 Pro brings faraway subjects up close with 5x optical zoom, 10x hybrid zoom and 50x maximum digital zoom. For the first time ever, the 5x Optical Telephoto Camera in the HUAWEI P40 Pro includes a RYYB colour filter array to boost light intake and improve quality of zoomed shots. HUAWEI P40 Pro+ has a 100x SuperZoom Array with a new periscope design that reflects light five times, extending the light path by 178 percent to support 10x true optical zoom. The optically stabilised Ultra Vision Wide Camera and SuperZoom Array work in tandem with AI to realise Triple OIS+AIS for vastly improved photo and video stabilisation. 

Skin tone and texture are faithfully reproduced by a new Multi-spectrum Colour Temperature Sensor and AI AWB algorithm that boost colour accuracy by 45 percent. Deep learning algorithms provide real-time portrait optimisations that enhance lighting and detail. HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40 Pro+ have a 32MP AF Camera and IR Depth Camera that support autofocus and Bokeh reproduction to deliver the same outstanding portrait effects that are signature to Huawei devices, as well as IR Face Unlock for device unlock even in low light conditions. HUAWEI P40 Series also introduces HUAWEI Golden Snap, which includes AI Best Moment, a new smart photography feature that chooses the best frames from a Moving Picture. AI Remove Passerby and AI Remove Reflection can do away with unwanted subjects and glare from the frame, allowing users to easily enhance their images after the fact.

A powerful pocket-sized video camera 

The 40MP Ultra Wide Cine Camera in HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40 Pro+ has a focal length that is equivalent to 18mm and a 1/1.54-inch sensor supporting the 3:2 aspect ratio. SedecimPixel Fusion Technology is built into this camera to support 16-in-1 pixel binning, producing super pixels that measure 4.48μm to boost light sensitivity up to ISO51200 and enable 7680fps Ultra Slow-Motion video capture.

HUAWEI P40 Series supports real-time Bokeh effects for videos. Similar to the results of a wide aperture lens, this feature adds progressive Bokeh to help highlight the main subject of the footage. The telephoto camera can capture high quality zoom footage as well as 4K time-lapse videos. Directional Audio Zoom, available on HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40 Pro+, allows users to zoom in on an audio source and amplify its sound at the same time.

An all-connected 5G powerhouse

The HUAWEI P40 Series is powered by Kirin 990 5G to deliver integrated 5G connectivity with the most comprehensive 5G band support, robust AI performance and power efficiency. Display responsiveness and gaming experience are taken to the next level by the upgraded graphics rendering engine making the most of the 90Hz panel on the HUAWEI P40 Pro and HUAWEI P40 Pro+. The 160MHz Wi-Fi 6 Plus technology featured in the full line-up offers high-speed connectivity with support for 2,400Mbps peak theoretical transmission speed. The industry-leading 40W Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge is available on the HUAWEI P40 Pro+ for fast and convenient charging. The chipset is given the thermal headroom to deliver exceptional performance by the advanced cooling systems, including the bespoke 4-in-1 SuperCool system in the HUAWEI P40 Pro+. 

The EMUI 10.1 operating system introduces a host of new features that enable a richer, more seamless AI life. HUAWEI MeeTime[1] supports 1080p Full HD video call on Huawei smartphones, tablets and the HUAWEI Vision TV and delivers clear picture quality even in low light or weak signal conditions. Users can also share their phone screen with the other party during the video call and mark-up notes to quickly share thoughts. 

Huawei Share facilitates high-speed file transfer between the smartphone and other devices such as tablets and PCs. With Huawei Share on the HUAWEI P40 Series, consumers can stream music to a smart speaker, initiate screen projection and connect to Wi-Fi by tapping the device[2] they want to connect to with their phone. New functionality added to the Multi-screen Collaboration allows users to easily answer video or voice calls hands-free directly through the PC, and open files and hyperlinks on the smartphone with native PC applications for enhanced productivity.

Working in close collaboration with global developers, Huawei offers a wide range of global and local apps on AppGallery, Huawei’s official app marketplace. Users can also enjoy a rich library of quality entertainment media on HUAWEI Video, HUAWEI Music and HUAWEI Reader, with new additions from top content providers being added on a continuous basis. 

Pricing and availability

The HUAWEI P40 Pro (8GB RAM, 256GB Storage, RRP £899) will launch in the UK in Black and Silver Frost. The devices are available to pre-order from 26th March to 6th April with Carphone Warehouse, Virgin Mobile and selected retailers, and with Three from 27th March to 6th April. Eligible pre-orders can claim (via redemption) a bundle which includes HUAWEI FreeBuds 3, Huawei SuperCharge Wireless Car Charger and Wireless Charger[3].  The device goes on sale from the 7th April. 

The HUAWEI P40 (8GB RAM, 128GB Storage, RRP £699) will launch in the UK in Silver Frost (Carphone Warehouse only), and Black (Virgin Mobile and selected retailers). Pre-orders start from 26th March to 6th April, and the device goes on sale on 7th April. Eligible pre-orders will include a bundled pair of the HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 only[4].

Both the P40 and P40 Pro are also available to purchase directly from the new UK Huawei Store: 

• P40 Pro: https://consumer.huawei.com/uk...

• P40: https://consumer.huawei.com/uk...

HUAWEI P40 Pro+ pricing and availability will be announced in due course.

Alongside the HUAWEI P40 Series, Huawei also launched the HUAWEI WATCH GT2e, HUAWEI Sound X and the latest Spring/Summer 2020 HUAWEI X GENTLE MONSTER Eyewear, further enriching its product portfolio of all-scenario products that are designed to help consumers live a better digital life.

Image Gallery

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Preview Images

​Ahead of our full review, here are some full-size sample images taken with the Huawei P40 Pro smartphone. The P40 Pro is the new flagship phone from Huawei, featuring four different cameras, including a 50 megapixel main camera, and a 5x optical zoom lens.

A gallery of full-size sample images taken with the Huawei P40 Pro smartphone.

Huawei P40 Pro Sample Images

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