There’s only one year between them – but the Huawei P40 Pro builds on the achievements of the P30 Pro generation in many ways. Power, autonomy, display or photographic capabilities, let’s take a point-by-point look at what differentiates these two iterations and brings them closer together.
Read our comprehensive tests:
- Huawei P40 Pro review – so close to perfection
- Huawei P30 Pro review – talented photographer
Comparison of technical data sheets
| Huawei P30 Pro | Huawei P40 Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 158 x 73.4 x 8.41mm | 181 x 96 x 64 (mm) |
| Weight | 192g | 203g |
| Screen | 6.47” OLED | FHD+ | 2440 x 1080 pixels | 480dpi | 60Hz | 6.58″ OLED FHD+ | 2640x1200p | 441ppi | 90Hz |
| chipsets | Kirin 980 | Kirin 990 5G |
| BONE | Android Pie 9.0 +EMUI 9.1 |
Android 10 + EMUI 10.1 |
| data store | 8GB | 8GB |
| to store | 128/256GB | 256GB |
| microSD | No (NM Card) | No (NM Card) |
| main sensor | 40MP, f/1.6 + 20MP, f/2.2 + 8MP, f/3.4 | 50MP, f/1.9 + 40MP, f/1.8 + 12MP, f/3.4 + TOF |
| secondary sensor | 32MP f/2.0 | 32MP, f/2.0 |
| battery | 4200mAh (40W Super Charge) | 4200mAh (40W Super Charge) |
| 5G | Number | Yup |
| biometrics | Under-display fingerprint scanner and facial recognition | Under-display fingerprint scanner and facial recognition |
| water resistance | IP68 | IP68 |
In terms of performance, there really is no revolution: there is only one generation between the SoCs of the two smartphones, and they both have 8 GB of RAM – the difference should only be marginally felt. In terms of perception though, we’ll come back to that, the fact that the screen offers a refresh rate of 90 Hz should be felt in the interface, especially when scrolling or during gaming sessions.
There are a few similarities, such as the storage (both smartphones are available in 256GB), the selfie sensor’s specifications (still 32 Mpx f/2.0) or the size of the battery (4200 mAh). Both smartphones offer the same biometric devices (fingerprints under the screen and Face Unlock). Both water and water resistant (IP68).
after all The real big new feature of the P40 Pro that the P30 Pro lacks is 5G connectivity. – as well as Wifi 6.
Screen
The big innovation on the screen side of the P40 Pro is the 90 Hz refresh rate. Without bringing the wow effect of a switch to 120 Hz, this rise in the towers makes the interface smoother, more reactive, fresher. But that effect, we insist, is pretty minimal when it comes from a P30 Pro.
Another nice thing about the P40 Pro’s screen is that it is curved on all four sides. Some find screens with curved edges more difficult to handle. But according to our tests, it’s pretty pleasant to the touch. For example, when you pull down the notification bar, the feel is smooth as you don’t slide from one material to another.
Both smartphones offer a fingerprint sensor under the screen. Note that Huawei has raised its position on the P40 Pro to make it more ergonomic. The unlock time has also been reduced by 30% from generation to generation. The final highlight on the P30 Pro and P40 Pro’s display is the switch from a hidden notch centered at the top to the double punch at the top left.
We personally find this more visible and irritating than a small notch. But of course it all depends.
Photograph
The gap between the P20 Pro and P30 Pro was much larger than the P40 Pro. Both smartphones take simply excellent photos. Also, if the Huawei P40 Pro takes the lead in the DxOMark photo ranking, the P30 Pro remains 11th a year after its release. This does not mean that it has been “dropped” anymore compared to the P40 Pro. In fact, according to our tests, in most cases you really have to squint to see any difference in quality.
On the other hand, as soon as the brightness drops, even in the middle of the night, the P40 Pro’s shots are even more impressive than the P30 Pro’s shots. The sensors detect so much light that it is not always necessary to activate the night mode. Sometimes the results are even better with this mod disabled! Also note that having a ToF sensor on the back of the P40 Pro doesn’t make it immune to clipping errors. In our tests, we still notice some deviations related to the Bokeh effect.
Autonomy
Both smartphones have the same 4200mAh battery – and that’s a pretty good surprise: We haven’t seen any significant difference in autonomy so far (our testing is still ongoing). The 90Hz display does not melt the battery like snow in the sun and also this mode is active by default.
We will repeat these tests in 5G because there is a feeling that this technology may have ramifications for autonomy.
Design
From an overall perspective, the design of these two smartphones is particularly modern and uncluttered. We like the front of the Huawei P40 Pro, which has curved edges at the top and bottom. For the rest, whether it has a hole rather than a notch is up to personal taste.
On the other hand, the rear sensor in the “hob” path is a bit of a hindrance. The protrusion is inevitable, when the smartphone vibrates with its back against the table, it makes the smartphone unstable and causes an unpleasant noise. In this respect, the approach is lighter on the P30 Pro and in our opinion causes less disadvantages.
Google services… or Huawei?
The biggest difference between the P30 Pro and P40 Pro in this respect is that while it gets the first use of the Play Store and all Google services, the P40 Pro does not have a Google Media Services license. This is undoubtedly a strong argument in favor of the P30 Pro for many consumers.
Currently, the P40 Pro requires a lot of tweaking before it can be used normally in France, otherwise you should be happy with the Huawei AppGallery app store which is very lacking and populated above all by Chinese apps.
Price
The Huawei P30 Pro costs between €500 and €600 at most retailers at the time of this writing. The P40 Pro is marketed as almost twice as expensive at €1099. You can enjoy a 100€ discount during the pre-order period. A Watch GT 2 watch is available on request.
Solution
As you can see, the P40 Pro currently has a few disadvantages compared to the P30 Pro: it remains very expensive, lacks Google services, does not provide any functionality that is not available in the P30 Pro other than 5G (currently unavailable in France), and WiFi 6 connectivity ( it depends on them having a compatible router, but they are not working in the streets yet).
If you’re hesitating between the two models, the balance still clearly tilts in favor of the P30 Pro, in our opinion. Especially since we expect the price of the P40 Pro to drop rapidly. Finally, the absence of Google services makes using smartphones more complicated for most users. Especially since Huawei’s in-house alternative, AppGallery, is not as complete as the Play Store.
What are you thinking ? Share your opinion in the comments!
