I’ll be the first to admit I’m fully ingrained in the Apple ecosystem and no matter how many Android devices I’ve used I’ve never been swayed to stray far from the cult of Apple. This is changing after playing with the Huawei P40 Pro for the past few weeks. I believe I’m switching sides. The P40 Pro is the slickest phone I’ve ever laid my hands on, from the beautiful colour-way on the back to the amazing curved OLED display – I’m in love with the design. Despite some shortcomings it’s a really damn good phone I’d recommend and it’s worth checking out.
All photos taken on the P40 Pro
The P40 Pro is a big boy and people with big hands (like myself) should instantly fall in love with how it feels in your sweaty palms. The screen is 6.58 inches with 1200 x 2640 pixels resolution. It’s got a 2.86 GHz processor. It runs Android 10 and we will get more into this complication in a bit. It boasts an absolutely unreal camera. 256GB storage internally and 5GB free cloud service. It can also hold a nanoSD for an additional 256GB storage. It has a refresh rate of 90Hz. Finally the phone is powered by a Lithium Polymer, 4200 mAh battery. The phone doesn’t die and when you do need to charge it, it has wireless and fast charging.
In every sense this is a 2020 phone that takes a bite out of other phones on the market.
The camera is the standout feature on the P40 Series. Huawei shines when it comes to making cameras. Its main camera has an aperture of f/1.9 and is multi-camera. It has a Dual LED flash as well as Auto focus, Effects, Face detection, Geotagging, Image stabilization, Multi-shot, Panorama, Self-timer. The 2nd camera feature (40 MP, F1.8, Ultrawide). The 3rd camera feature (12 MP, F2.4, Telephoto) The 4th camera feature (3D Depth Sensing Camera), HDR. Each camera works incredibly well and I’ve had a lot of fun trying it out. From shooting the moon, to overhead videos in my office, to portraits of my friends this camera delivers exactly what I want easily. I don’t have to finnicky with it too much but experimenting with the Pro mode is next on my list. Most impressive is its low light capabilities. Being able to take photos in pitch dark is incredibly exciting for those long summer nights ahead of us.
I’ll note that the Ultrawide mode doesn’t take all that wide of shots. It has a 1/1.54-inch 40-megapixel sensor, but it’s no comparison to the 13mm of the iPhone 11. It might not be as wide but it does take better quality photos. Is this a dealbreaker, I guess if you really wanna only focus on wide shots. If not, then this is still very good and yes very wide, i’m just being picky.
In terms of video the P40 Pro shoots MPEG-4’s in Ultra HD (3840×2160 pixels) and 60fps. If you’re looking to start a YouTube channel or just need something to shoot your everyday vlogs that won’t make you look crazy and give you extra bulk then this is the way to go. Even when using the front camera you’re going to get incredible results and can still shoot in Ultra HD at 60fps.
Now everything sounds amazing and you’re probably ready to hit pre-order or buy depending on where you are in the world. Well, excuse me while I throw out the red flag. Here’s the one problem some might have with the device. Huawei has moved from using GMS to HMS (Huawei Mobile Service). Yep, this device doesn’t have Google (Nor IOS). Huawei is working on building their own ecosystem to rival their competitors and it works pretty well. There are three ways to get the apps you need on your new device. You can use the Huawei AppGallery which Huawei has integrated upwards of 3,000 apps into each week since its launch in Canada 2 months ago. You can use Petal Search to get over 1M top apps or can also use Phone Clone to transfer info from your old device to the P40 Pro. With Petal Search your apps will stay updated so you can rest easy. If you wanna learn more about this check out my boy Karl Conrad’s video.
I’ve been practicing digital minimalism these past few months (yes that’s as douchey as it sounds) and have been trying to limit my screen time on my phone during quarantine. I like to keep my apps to the bare minimum. Browser, Twitter, Camera, Notes, Text, Spotify and DJI. I don’t need Facebook and Instagram bogging down my time. I would recommend checking out Cal Newport’s book “Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World” if you want to check out how to live outside your phone. If anything using this phone has made me question how much we depend on Google and Apple for our apps and how different that is across the world. I’m excited to see what Huawei does with their HarmonyOS operating system moving forward.
The only other downside to the device is the speaker isn’t the greatest. I’m not one to ever use my speaker on my phone when I have headphones on me all time (wireless of course, there’s no headphone jack here). But it’s worth noting for those that like to consume media on their device without headphones like those weirdos on the bus.
This phone also has a slew of other fun features. I love that it has password entry, face recognition AND a thumb print scanner right in the middle of the screen for easy access. Competitors take note, that thumb print on the screen is clutch. It also has a number of air gestures I’m still learning. You can draw right on the screen as well as use your knuckles for different features and haptic controls. It also has reverse power charging so if like me you have tons of things that can wireless charge you can just stick it on the back of the phone and boom, a portable charger wherever you go.
Look, I might sound like a fanboy and to be honest I kinda am. After using this phone I can tell you it is better than it sounds. It’s far better than I ever imagined. I’m sure there’s things I haven’t even touched on yet. This is a really good phone if you can live without Google. If you’re ready to kiss Sheets and Docs away then I’d seriously consider taking a look at this phone. Put it’s warm body in the palm of your hands and snap a selfie of yourself or a loved one. Gander at the beauty of the back of the device (also, worth noting, the P40 Pro comes with a case so you can protect that beautiful backing) and say do you need this? If you’ve read this far then the answer is probably yes, yes you need this. It’s one hell of a great device. I love how its screen curves into all four sides of the device. It’s as smooth as butter to use. Do you hear that sound from the other room in your house? It’s not a ghost this time, it’s the sound of your new Huawei P40 Pro device ringing away.
The Huawei P40 Series 5G is now available in Canada and for a limited time get a free Huawei Watch GT2 smartwatch and 50GB of Cloud storage for 12 months when you purchase the P40 or P40 Pro.
For current Huawei customers, Huawei is holding a photo contest the #HuaweiNextImage Awards, where you can win some pretty great prizes, including this very phone. You can read more about it here: CLICK ME
To learn more about the P40 Series now available in Canada, visit https://bit.ly/2W21vlf
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