At an online launch event earlier today, Huawei announced the Huawei P40, Huawei P40 Pro and Huawei P40 Pro Plus, and they are all about the cameras.
The standard P40 has a 6.1-inch screen, an Overflow Display that slopes downward on both the sides and the top and bottom edges. It was inspired by the shape you get from water surface tension , the meniscus on the top of a glass of water or a water droplet.
Both the P40 Pro and the P40 Pro Plus have the same screen, a 6.58-inch 2,640 x 1,200 Overflow display. On the P40 Pro, there’s a 2.65mm top bezel and 1.71mm side bezels.
All of the P40 phones come with a 30-percent larger fingerprint scanner, which according to Huawei, unlocks 30 percent faster. There’s also dual-camera face unlock on the P40 series, with infrared tech to ensure it works even in low light. You can also add an alternative ‘look’ to your face unlock profile, so the P40 can recognize you with or without glasses.
Richard Yu, CEO of Huawei Consumer BG:
“The HUAWEI P Series has always been about innovative aesthetics and making premium imaging hardware accessible, representing the very best of industrial design and technology. With an outstanding sensor, camera systems that we co-engineered with Leica, powerful chipset and HUAWEI XD Fusion Engine, the HUAWEI P40 Series exemplifies our focus and offers an all-day Super Definition experience to help consumers realise their creative vision.”
The cameras, irrespective of which P40 model, are all grouped together into a single camera unit. It’s ‘volcano-esque’ according to Huawei’s spokespeople. Both the P40 Pro and P40 Pro Plus are IP68 rated against water and dust, while the P40 is rated IP53.
All the P40 series phones have a 50-megapixel RYYB (red, yellow, yellow, blue) 1/1.28-inch sensor. Huawei claims this Ultravision sensor will ensure the highest light intake, higher dynamic range and lower noise.Â
On the P40, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide camera and an 8-megapixel 3X optical zoom flank the 50-megapixel primary camera — that’s roughly the same arrangement as last year’s P30 Pro, augmented with that new sensor.
The P40 Pro goes with a 40-megapixel ultra-wide f1.8 cinematic lens that we saw on the Mate 30 and a 12-megapixel 5X optical zoom lens with a new RYYB sensor behind it (which reportedly takes in 40 percent more light) and a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor for depth effects. Its zoom can top out at 50X digital.
On the P40 Pro Plus, Huawei have added an 8-megapixel 10X optical super periscope telephoto lens. That works with the other telephoto lens to offer the equivalent of a 240mm zoom range — and that’s before any digital zoom.
That kind of zoom requires stability, so there’s both AI stabilization on top of the optical image stabilization on the primary 50MP sensor and the telephoto cameras. This should help ensure long-range photos aren’t just blurry smears.
When it comes to video, the P40 can capture at ISOs up to 51200; there’s ultra-slow-motion, HDR and 4K timelapse all built-in. There’s also a new directional audio zoom feature, which uses the three built-in stereo mics to hone in and amplify distant sounds.
There’s a dual-camera 32-megapixel front-facing setup, with a time-of-flight sensor and autofocus on the Pro and Pro Plus models and the primary cameras on the rear have phase-detection autofocus for faster focus in low light.
The Huawei P40 Series is powered bythe Kirin 990 5G SOC to deliver integrated 5G connectivity with the most comprehensive 5G band support, robust AI performance and power efficiency. Display responsiveness is taken to the next level by the upgraded graphics rendering engine making the most of the 90Hz panel on the Huawei P40 Pro and P40 Pro Plus.
The P40 Pro and Pro Plus have a 4,200mAh battery and the smaller P40, a 3,800mAh cell. The P40 Pro and P40 Pro Plus will work with a 40W fast charger, while the devices will also cope with a 40W wireless charger, sold separately by Huawei.
The EMUI 10.1 operating system introduces a host of new features that enable a richer, more seamless AI life. Including Huawei MeeTime, 1080p Full HD video call and Huawei Share for one touch connectivity across devices.
Available in three glossy glass finishes – Ice White, Deep Sea Blue and Black – and two innovative refractive matte glass finishes – Blush Gold and Silver Frost, the HUAWEI P40 Pro and P40 exude elegance. Huawei P40 Pro Plus features an exquisite nano-tech ceramic back panel that is kilned and polished to ensure it stands the test of time. This unique design comes in two iconic colours: Ceramic White and Ceramic Black.
The Huawei P40 is set to hit stores in some regions on April 7, at a cost of £730 (around $870 / €799 / AU$1,450), with the Huawei P40 Pro arriving on the same day for £900 (roughly $1,100 / €999 / AU$1,800).
The Huawei P40 Pro Plus meanwhile isn’t scheduled to appear until June and will cost £1,300 (approximately $1,500 / €1,399 / AU$2,500).
HUAWEI P40 PRO PLUS, P40 PRO, and P40 SPECIFICATIONS
| Huawei P40 Pro Plus | Huawei P40 Pro | Huawei P40 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display | 6.58-inch OLED, 2,640 x 1,200 (19.8:9) 90Hz In-display fingerprint sensor | 6.58-inch OLED, 2,640 x 1,200 (19.8:9) 90Hz In-display fingerprint sensor | 6.1-inch OLED, 2,340 x 1,080 (19.5:9) 60Hz In-display fingerprint sensor |
| Processor | HiSilicon Kirin 990 Octa-core CPU (2 Cortex-A76 @ 2.86GHz, 2 Cortex-A76 @ 2.36GHz, 4 Cortex-A55 @ 1.95GHz) Dual NPU Mali-G76 MP16 GPU | HiSilicon Kirin 990 Octa-core CPU (2 Cortex-A76 @ 2.86GHz, 2 Cortex-A76 @ 2.36GHz, 4 Cortex-A55 @ 1.95GHz) Dual NPU Mali-G76 MP16 GPU | HiSilicon Kirin 990 Octa-core CPU (2 Cortex-A76 @ 2.86GHz, 2 Cortex-A76 @ 2.36GHz, 4 Cortex-A55 @ 1.95GHz) Dual NPU Mali-G76 MP16 GPU |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 512GB | 256GB | 128GB |
| Cameras | Rear: 50MP f/1.9 (RYYB) with OIS 40MP f/1.8 ultra-wide 8MP f/4.4 10x periscope with OIS 8MP f/2.4 3x telephoto with OIS 3D ToF Front: 32MP IR sensor | Rear: 50MP f/1.9 (RYYB) with OIS 40MP f/1.8 ultra-wide 12MP f/3.4 5x periscope 3D ToF Front: 32MP IR sensor | Rear: 50MP f/1.9 (RYYB) with OIS 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide 8MP f/2.4 3x telephoto Front: 32MP |
| Battery | 4,200mAh Non-removable 40W wired charging 40W wireless charging | 4,200mAh Non-removable 40W wired charging 40W wireless charging | 3,800mAh Non-removable 22.5W wired charging |
| IP Rating | IP68 | IP68 | IP53 |
| Software | EMUI 10.1 Android 10 | EMUI 10.1 Android 10 | EMUI 10.1 Android 10 |
