Huawei Mate 30 Pro launch

Huawei Mate 30 Pro

The new Huawei Mate 30 Pro is truly an impressive device, but there is the elephant in the room that we must address first.

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro will not come with Google Android. As GadgetGuy Val Quinn reported from IFA Future Huawei Phones will still run Android (sort of). In simple terms, it runs an Android Open Source Project fork of Android that does not have access to any Google Mobile services, apps, Play Store, security updates, or future versions of Android.

That also means any apps or content you have purchased from Google Play are lost.

The future of Google Android 9 or 10 on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro and later Huawei phones rests solely with US President Donald Trump. We do not dare venture what or when the outcome may be.

Buyers must realise that their favourite apps – banking, dating, maps, transport etc., will not be on Huawei’s AppGallery (claimed 45K apps) although Huawei is apparently offering developers a part of a US$1 billion pool to port popular apps over and has added a wish-list feature to determine must-have apps. The catch 22 here is that any US developed app cannot appear due to the US Huawei black ban so scratch 90+% of apps in Google Play.

Huawei also says users can use its web browser to access most services or root its Android handset and sideload Google apps. Good luck in convincing Joe and Jane Average to do this (and it is not easy either). Rooting will also stop Huawei from updating the OS and security patches.

Remember what killed the extraordinarily good Nokia Windows Phone? Lack of apps. We wish Huawei al the best, and at least we have done our duty in advising you of this issue.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro launch – what we know

First, this is all from a pre-briefing, and we will update it when we can. The launch is 19.09.19 at 2 PM CEST Munich (that is 10 PM our time) – you can watch it here

https://youtu.be/BMd7ZX-eXY4

Second, this device is about the camera. Forget that is s a phone running the Kirin 990 which is one of the most powerful smartphone SoCs in 2019 enabling more powerful AI and post-processing photography. There will likely be a 4G and 5G version.

Quad rear camera

  • Lecia Cine Cam lens
  • RYYB (red, yellow, yellow, blue) sensor (similar to that used on the P30 Pro)
  • 3X optical, 5X hybrid, 30X digital zoom (no periscope lens like the P30 Pro)
  • 40 MP, f/1.6, 27mm (wide), 1/1.7″, PDAF, Laser AF
  • 8 MP, f/2.4, 80mm (telephoto), 1/4″, PDAF, Laser AF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
  • 40 MP, (ultrawide), PDAF, Laser AF
  • 3D TOF camera
  • HDR, Panorama, Bokeh, Macro, Portrait, time-lapse slow-mo 7680fps
  • 4K@60fps video
Huawei Mate 30 Pro
Large flash. This is a prototype model so forgive the detritus around the quad camera

Selfie camera

  • 32 MP (wide angle)
  • Depth camera
  • 3D TOF camera for face ID and measurement etc

Screen

  • 6.7-inch 3120 x 1440, 513ppi, 19.5:9 ratio, DCI-P3 and HDR10
  • 88° curved edge screen OLED and Gorilla Glass 6

Processor/RAM

  • Kirin 990 – Octa-core (2×2.86 GHz Cortex-A76 & 2×2.36 GHz Cortex-A76 & 4×1.95 GHz Cortex-A55) – note that there are different specifications for the 4G and 5G versions
  • Mali G76 MP16
  • 8/256GB UFS 3.0
  • Proprietary NM card up to 256GB using second sim (hybrid) slot and OTG support

Comms

  • Wi-Fi AC
  • BT 5.0 with SBC and aptX HD
  • NFC

Battery

  • 4500mAH battery
  • USB-C Type 1 ‘SuperCharge 2.0’ 40W fast charger – 70% in 30 minutes
  • Qi wireless 27W charger
  • 5W Reverse wireless charging

Sound

  • Earpiece and down-firing stereo speaker
  • No 3.5mm jack
  • 32-bit/384kHz hi-res

OS

  • Open Source Android
  • EMUI 10 (called a Younger/Fashion look)
  • Huawei mobile app store
  • Under glass fingerprint sensor and 3D Face ID
  • And nothing ‘Google’ but a suite of Huawei apps to replace this functionality

Pricing and availability – Huawei Mate 30 Pro

Mate 30 Pro is coming here in Black and Space Silver, but there are no announcements about prices or retailers/carriers yet.

GadgetGuys’s take – Huawei Mate 30 Pro is impressive

This improves on every aspect of the flagship P30 Pro. In some cases, it is refinement, in some much-needed changes, e.g., to the wireless, reverse and USB charging wattages, and in some a quantum leap – the camera looks quite cutting-edge.

A nice feature is no side buttons – replaced by touch-sensitive edges and virtual left and right ‘keys’ for gaming.

Huawei Mate 30 Pro
Prototype only – not sure what the PACIFIC is for

We wish Huawei well and hope the US Entity List ban issue resolves soon.