My experience with the Huawei P30 after a month of use

I have been lucky enough to test both the Huawei P30 Pro and its little (albeit muscular) brother, the Huawei P30. A mobile with most of the benefits of the most powerful mobile from the Chinese company but that cuts some points, such as the 50x zoom or resistance to water and dust. The good news is that it also cuts in price. In about 200 euros between one version and another, taking the starting configuration. Not bad if you do not have a budget to go up to about a thousand euros that the Pro model costs. I tell you my experience of using the Huawei P30 after having used it as the main mobile during these weeks. Is it a good buy? Or is it worth saving a little more to get your older brother?

Huawei P30 

The Huawei P30 has a slim profile and rounded edges on the case

A beautiful design like few others

You have to admit it. Huawei has taken giant steps in the design of its top mobiles in recent years. If you add to that the finesse and good grip of the Huawei P30 , it immediately becomes a mobile that enters easily through the eyes. And that is something that is expected in any high-end mobile worth its salt. There is no doubt that its main attraction is in its case, with a gradient effect that has caught everyone's attention.my friends and family. In my case, I have tried the Aurora color, which makes a very beautiful gradient between blue and purple tones. On a personal level, it seems to me the most attractive tone that the Chinese company has today, although the Amber color is also hitting hard with a mixture of orange and red tones. Other options in which you can find it are mother-of-pearl, black, white and blue.

Aurora gradient changes between various shades of blue and purple

By the way, this back is made of glass, the material that most manufacturers have chosen. The biggest problem on an aesthetic level is that it looks spectacular at first, but in a few seconds it fills with handprints and loses glamor . What is very distinctive is the screen printing of Huawei and the Leica cameras that we can see on the back, in a bright silver color that combines very well with the gradient and leaves a premium feeling.

At the design level, there is another drawback to take into account. The lenses protrude too far from the housing . It is true that Huawei has had to prioritize to maintain the slim profile of the mobile and incorporate the objectives, but at the design level it can be somewhat annoying. Especially when you leave it on a horizontal surface like a table and it is tilted. Apart from this point, we have a very well balanced mobile that combines glass on both the front and the back with the use of metal on the sides. By the way, chrome with blue reflections, so that the harmony with the gradient and that feeling of being in front of a top terminal is maintained.

The lenses of the P30 stick out noticeably

The back has been rounded so that the grip is more comfortable, but we do not have curves on the screen as in the case of the Huawei P30 Pro. The advantage is that if we are unlucky the screen will chip at some point , the replacement will be considerably cheaper.

More cool design stuff. The Huawei P30 maintains the headphone slot , a connector that seems doomed to disappear in a while. At the moment, the P30 gives us this option that is very useful if we do not want to walk with wireless headphones or with adapters for USB type C. The slot is located at the bottom, next to the charging connector and the speaker. Visually it is somewhat overloaded, although thanks to this we have a cleaner design both on the sides (three buttons on one side and SIM slot on the other) and on the top.

Bottom view with speaker, Type-C connector, and headphone slot

It is a more compact mobile and fits in any pocket. Its full dimensions are 71 x 149 x 8 millimeters, with a weight of 163 grams. By the way, where the company has cut in benefits is in its resistance to dust and water. While the Huawei P30 Pro does have an IP67 certificate, the P30 stays at only IP53 . That means you shouldn't expect him to make it out alive if you accidentally drop it into a sink, pool, or toilet (not an urban legend, it has happened to many of us). At most, it can withstand splashes or a few drops of rain.

The Huawei P30 has three cameras on the back

Triple camera with good performance

Go ahead that the Huawei P30 is a more than valid mobile to take pictures. Its main cameras have a lot of potential and their performance in night conditions is very remarkable. Now, my problem is having tried the Huawei P30 Pro camera before. And, more specifically, its zoom of up to 50x. Honestly, the 50X zoom is not a useful feature. Most of the time you won't need to squeeze the phone to that point. But it is a novelty that attracts attention and that gives you a lot of play with your friends and family. It's something to brag about and a curiosity that you can have a good time with. And when taking the Huawei P30 this plus is missing.

Huawei P30 photo gallery 

Now, outside the more subjective field, the photographic set of the Huawei P30 Pro had a great advantage. Its 5X optical zoom and hybrid zoom up to 10X. In both cases (especially the first one, as is obvious) we had a really good quality resulting from the photos, the kind that you shoot and keep. In the case of the Huawei P30, we have a 3X optical zoom and a digital zoom of up to 30X. But the quality of the photos when using the zoom does not leave the same taste in the mouth when we take it beyond five magnifications.

Photo results in low light conditions are excellent

Regardless of the zoom issue, we have a top-of-the-line photographic set with a triple camera on the back. The main lens has a resolution of 40 megapixels, which actually drops down to 10 megapixels when we use its advanced features. It has an aperture of f / 1.8 and is wide-angle for taking photos that capture more space . The second camera is ultra wide angle and has a resolution of 16 megapixels, with an aperture of f / 2.2, while the telephoto lens has a resolution of 8 megapixels and f / 2.4.

And how about the results? The truth is that it more than meets what an advanced user is looking for . The results in very low light conditions are surprising, a step ahead of what is achieved with another top model like the Samsung Galaxy S10. Of course, when there is not so much darkness sometimes the photographs come out somewhat oversaturated. We must also talk about the excellent work of Huawei in image stabilization . Optical stabilization joins stabilization by artificial intelligence. This is what allows you to zoom to such high levels without the image dancing too much (again, the effect was more spectacular on the Huawei P30 Pro).

Incorporates an ultra wide angle camera

On the other hand, I would like to highlight the quality of the approach. This is noticeable in both photography and video. Precisely, in the office this difference with respect to previous versions has been noticed when recording video. Whereas in the Huawei P20 Pro (for example) the image used to vibrate to return to seek focus when the light was not good, in this case the focus is stable at all times and the results are excellent.

The ultra wide angle camera has given me a lot of play when taking photos of landscapes and monuments . Also when I have wanted to take pictures of elements or rooms without having much space to separate myself. By the way, if you are one of those who like to take detail photos, the super macro mode of the Huawei P30 is a true delight. It is designed to be able to take photos from a very close distance, and in my work I find it really useful for product photos. In addition, if you have artificial intelligence activated, the mode is activated automatically when it detects that you are bringing your mobile very close to an object. Thanks to this, you will not have to look for the specific option in the camera modes. A bit for Huawei.

Huawei has rejoined with Leica to design the P30 cameras

Finally, you could not miss a specific mode for blur effects. Huawei has been one of the first companies that has bet heavily on the double camera to create this type of compositions, and it shows that it is one of the best at doing so. This quality is evident in the different options you have when it comes to blurring and configuring it after shooting the photo. Of course, on a personal level it does not seem to me that it reaches the level of the Google Pixel 3 XL camera and its use of artificial intelligence.

Front camera for selfies

The front camera of the P30 uses a single lens with a resolution of 32 megapixels and aperture of f / 2.0. Photo results are remarkable, both in good light conditions and in darker scenes. Of course, the feeling that I have is that Huawei has simplified the available options too much, with some filters to add hearts or circles but few effects that give game. By the way, you also have the Huawei emoji. These cute characters react to the movements of your face and allow you to create videos to share with friends or family. The reactions are more or less faithful but it shows that it is not an option that has developed much since it had its boom with the animoji of the iPhone.

A lizard, a wolf or an apple are some of the Emoji characters of the AR lens

Simultaneous recording with two lenses

Lastly, the new two-view mode caught my attention. In this case, a video is recorded that combines the standard lens with the telephoto lens (in two, three or up to five times). With this mode you can create some curious compositions if you let your creativity fly , although it is likely that you will spend a good time doing false tests until something decent is left.

Good power and performance

In the field of performance, it must be said that the Huawei P30 delivers on what a high-end promises. The experience of using the mobile has been satisfactory at all times, with good loading times for apps and games and a very fluid movement through the phone's menus. In its entrails we have a signature processor, the Kirin 980. This chip is based on a seven-nanometer architecture, which translates into greater efficiency. The eight-core processor speed reaches a maximum of 2.6 GHz in two of the cores, 1.92 GHz in the other two cores, and 1.8 GHz in the remaining four. It is accompanied by a 6 GB RAM, more than enough to power a good number of applications and processes open at the same time. At no time have I noticed a cut or stop during this month.

The Huawei P30 is fluid both when opening apps and when navigating through its menus

By the way, the Huawei P30 incorporates a dedicated chip with artificial NPU technology . On a practical level, it is a chip that learns from the use we give our mobile to optimize processes and improve performance as the days go by.

The internal memory stands at 128 GB , a good capacity to not have to worry about having an extra memory card. Of course, you have to know that when expanding the Huawei P30 you will have to buy a NM type card. That is, the microSD card that you have been using with other mobiles will not work for you. These cards can be found in various capacities and to give you an idea, a 128 GB card is around 50 euros.

The Huawei P30 marks read speeds of up to 697 MB / s and write speeds of 184 MB / s

Very good autonomy

You have to admit it. Huawei phones have very good arguments (for something they are competing for the Android throne with Samsung), but autonomy is without a doubt my favorite with their cameras. Going from high-quality mobiles but little autonomy like the Google Pixel 3 XL to the P30 is a relief. Above all, if your work or your social life forces you to be glued to your mobile phone and have several hours of screen a day. The Huawei P30 has endured an average of a day and a half of battery life before having to recharge it , and sometimes it has reached the second night without having to go through the plug.

The Huawei P30 lasts a day and a half of battery

It is something that should be required of any high-end worth its salt, although it is not usually the main concern in many models. In the case of the Huawei P30, this autonomy is achieved through a 3,650 milliamp battery . It is surprising that the company introduces it into such a slim 8-millimeter body. In addition to this capacity, fast charging technology is also included with which to recover several hours of use of the phone after a few minutes connected to the plug.

The Huawei P30 bets on a 6.1-inch OLED screen

6.1 inch OLED screen

The screen of the Huawei P30 has a size of 6.1 inches, in the same line as the Samsung Galaxy S10. That is, a more compact format than the top mobiles of the two brands. At the size level, I must admit that it is easier to handle with one hand and fits better in the pocket , although this little extra is somewhat missed when watching movies and videos. The main novelty compared to the same model last year (the Huawei P20) is the use of an AMOLED-type panel. This technology has the main advantages of more vibrant and vivid colors, greater luminosity and, above all, a lower energy consumption than IPS panels.

As for resolution, Huawei has not wanted to enter the war to make large resolutions for the mobile screen and has kept it in Full HD + of 2,340 x 1,080 pixels . In principle, it is a resolution more than enough to enjoy an excellent level of detail. In fact, other models like the high-end Samsung Galaxy that have a higher resolution (Quad HD) already show Full HD resolution by default to consume less energy. Be that as it may, if you want the top resolution on the market you will have to go to the Galaxy or models from other brands such as Sony, which has even flirted with 4K.

In this case, the screen is flat and not curved like on the P30 Pro

The screen format is longer than panoramic panels with a 19.5: 9 ratio to make better use of useful space. The ratio of the screen to the front is 85%. In this case, Huawei has not chosen to have the front camera perforated in the glass itself, as we have seen in the Honor View 20. Instead, it opts for a notch or eyebrow in the upper central part to house it. On a visual level, I admit that at first I was more reticent with the notch, but after a while I have got used to it and nothing bothers me when using a mobile phone.

The panel more than meets expectations, with good brightness levels and excellent tactile response. Of course, after testing the Huawei P30 Pro, the curves of its screen are missing.

This mobile has AC WiFi and Bluetooth 5.0 and maintains the headphone slot

Complete connections

In the field of connections, the Huawei P30 fulfills what we expect in a high-end mobile. This device is compatible with high-speed 4G networks (although it is not yet part of the new batch of 5G mobiles). It connects to WiFi both over the 2.4 GHz bandwidth and the 5 GHz width . This second width is still less congested and is also prepared for higher speeds, in addition to having less interference.

The Huawei P30 also includes the Bluetooth 5.0 connection . The main change is that it can be connected simultaneously to different peripherals such as wireless headphones or the car. Something I appreciate is that the design has kept the headphone jack, which prevents you from having to buy adapters. Without leaving the field of audio, it supports high fidelity sound through aptX and LDAC.

Price and conclusions

The official price of the Huawei P30 is 750 euros , although you can already find it in some stores with a good discount of 100 or even 200 euros on that price. In short, we are facing a very complete mobile capable of meeting the expectations of a high-end. It's very nice, it has a top-notch camera suite, and it's powerful.Of course, there are some points that are missing if you have tried its older brother Huawei P30 Pro before. Above all, the fact that it has very little resistance to water (it only resists splashes) and the zoom performance of up to 50X of the P30 Pro. You also get to miss the touch of the curved screen. For the rest, one of the mobiles that is set to become a best seller throughout 2019 ... Yes, the conflict between Trump and Huawei - and with all of China - allows it.