Huawei goes big on smartphone cameras with P30 Pro launch

The device has four rear cameras with a 50x digital zoom capability

With the success of its camera-centric P20 Pro device that gained real plaudits last year, the company has launched the latest variants to the P series.

In an event at the convention centre in Paris, Chinese giant Huawei launched the P30 and P30 Pro smartphones.

Powered by Huawei's in-house Kirin 980 processor, the devices are the latest attempt by the company to leave a mark in an increasingly competitive smartphone market.

Take the lead. Change the status quo. #RewriteTheRules with the #HUAWEIP30 Series. pic.twitter.com/b7YzjRs3os

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) March 26, 2019

With a 6.47-inch FullHD+ OLED display, the P30 Pro has a whopping 8GB of RAM with the option of a 512 GB storage. Apart from that, the Pro variant has four rear cameras with a 40-megapixel (Superspectrum) f/1.6 sensor, 20-megapixel wide-angle f/2.2 sensor, not to forget the 8-megapixel f/3.4 sensor with a 5x optical zoom internal periscope camera with 50x digital zoom capability and a fourth time-of-flight (TOF) sensor.

Unique to the P30 Pro, the Time-of-Flight (TOF) Camera aims to capture depth-of-field information to deliver precisely accurate image segmentation. Precise distance measurement allows for the simulation of multiple levels of bokeh—from a focused background to a more blurred out affect—highlighting the subject in any scenario.



The device also has a 4,400 mAh battery, in-built fingerprint scanner, a USB-C charging port with 40W supercharging.

Superzoom on the P30 Pro. PHOTO: HUAWEI

AI has always been a key proponent of Huawei's camera capability. The P30 Pro HDR+ enables the front and rear cameras to combine multiple photos taken in quick succession to optimise overexposed and backlit selfies.

One new feature the company announced includes the new video Dual-View mode that let you use two of the rear cameras to record different videos simultaneously.

You can capture both an ultra-wide angle clip and a zoom shot – offering a panorama on the right and a close-up on the left of the screen making it easier to film fast moving objects from a distance. The AIS and OIS allow 4K videos to be shot at 60fps.

To the ends of the earth. Go to places you never dreamt possible with SuperZoom Lens on the #HUAWEIP30Pro. #RewriteTheRules pic.twitter.com/EZqUVnnynM

— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) March 26, 2019

"The latest HUAWEI P30 Series represents a breakthrough after decades of digital camera technology development. Innovations such as the HUAWEI SuperSpectrum Sensor and SuperZoom Lens allow us to push the envelope of not just photography, but videography as well – a frontier long overdue for disruption," said Richard Yu, CEO, Huawei Consumer BG.

Wide-angle comparison on P30 Pro. PHOTO: HUAWEI

The P20 Pro greatly shifted Huawei's emphasis toward smartphone photography. The P20 Pro redefined the company's outlook in the smartphone industry and gave its Leica cameras a degree of credibility. This camera-centric popularity did well in terms of enhancing demand for the Mate 20 flagship device while also helping the company become the world's second largest smartphone seller.



Huawei will sell the devices in a classic black colour and three new gradient finishes—Amber Sunrise, Breathing Crystal and Aurora.

In terms of price, the P30 is priced at €799, while the P30 Pro will retail starting at €999. The P30 Series will be available from April 13.

Overall, in terms of the specs, Huawei has improved on the P20 with the latest model and hopes to capture the smartphone industry in a similar manner.

With the Samsung S10+ launching recently along with Samsung and Huawei's foldable devices coming out and 5G technology approaching fast, the smartphone industry is in a dynamic wave of innovations.