Huawei P40 review
Introduction
The compact flagship - it's a niche fewer dare to explore, no matter potential or demand. Sony has given up on the Compact series, unfortunately, and the iPhone SE 2 is in a Schrödinger's state of uncertainty for all we know. But Huawei P40 is already here, already available worldwide, and it brings a ton of premium perks stuffed into a pocket-friendly body.
The P40 is the smallest and least expensive of the new P40 series trio by Huawei. It relies on a more reasonably sized 6.1" OLED screen, although 60Hz instead of 90Hz, with similar sharpness and boasts Huawei's top-of-the-line Kirin 990 5G chip. The screen vibrates to make sound just like on the other P40's, and the under-display fingerprint scanner is of equal rapidity and accuracy.
Being a (P)hotography-centric smartphone, the P40 also offers some of the key camera features found on its Pro siblings like the new 50MP main shooter, complete with the RYYB filter, OIS, and 4K at 60fps capturing. The zoom range is limited to 3x as there is no periscope lens, while the ultrawide shooter uses a more mainstream 16MP sensor vs. 40MP on the Pro. There is no fourth (ToF) camera on the back of the P40 as there is on the Pro.
The selfie camera enjoys the high-res 32MP sensor available on the Pro models, but it omits autofocus and we were really bummed to find this. At least it got the IR camera helper, so Face Unlock is possible.
The P40 is a smaller phone and it has a smaller 3,800 mAh battery. Its charging speed isn't as impressive at 22.5W, but still fast enough. There are no wireless charging capabilities on the P40 though, which is yet another obvious difference from the Pros.
Huawei P40 specs
- Body: Glass front and back, aluminum frame; IP53-rated for dust and splash resistance.
- Screen: 6.1" OLED, 1,080x2,340px resolution (422ppi); 60Hz refresh rate; HDR10.
- Chipset: Kirin 990 5G, octa-core processor (2xA76 @2.86GHz + 2xA76 @2.36GHz +4xA55 @1.95GHz), Mali-G76 MP16 GPU, tri-core NPU.
- Memory: 6/8GB RAM, 128/256GB UFS3.0 storage (expandable via Nano Memory - hybrid slot).
- OS/Software: Android 10, EMUI 10.1.
- Rear camera: Primary: 50MP (RYYB filter), 1/1.28" sensor size, 23mm f/1.8 lens, OIS, PDAF; Telephoto: 8MP 80mm f/2.4, OIS, 3x optical and 5x hybrid zoom, PDAF; Ultrawide angle: 16MP, 17mm, f/2.2, AF; 4K@60fps video capture; Leica co-developed.
- Front camera: 32MP, f/2.0, 26mm; 3D IR camera.
- Battery: 3,800mAh; Super Charge 22.5W.
- Security: Fingerprint reader (under display, optical), 3D face recognition.
- Connectivity: 5G/4G/3G/GSM; Dual SIM, Wi-Fi 6+, Dual-band GPS, Bluetooth 5.1 + LE, NFC, USB Type-C.
- Misc: Acoustic display acts as earpiece, bottom-firing loudspeaker.
Well, besides the lower screen refresh rate, reworked secondary cameras and slower charging, the Huawei P40 has one more thing different the more premium Pro versions - it is only splash-proof with IP53 rating, instead of water-resistant with IP68 or similar. This has been an ongoing thing with Huawei's flagships for years now and we dream for the day where Pro and non-Pro headliners will have feature parity.
Enough with the small talk, here comes the P40 out of its box.
Unboxing the Huawei P40
The Huawei P40 retail bundle is flagship worthy. Inside the white paper box, you will find Huawei's 22.5W Super Charge brick and the enhanced USB-C cable needed for the Super Charge to work.
Huawei also ships the P40 with its wired EarBuds ending on a USB-C plug. There is no 3.5mm adapter inside the box.
Some markets may also get a transparent silicone case within the box, but we did not receive one.
Design and handling
Huawei P40 looks a lot like the Pro models, or that's what we first thought. Gone are the premium curves around the screen and it's noticeably smaller. And these might be good news for many.
Huawei P40 Pro next to Huawei P40
The P40 Pro is advertised for its quad-curved dual-glass design, but the P40 has no slopes on its screen edges. And that's doing wonders for the grip, as well as the mistouch prevention. Don't you worry though, fans of the curves, the back is still trendily bent towards the aluminum frame - as Huawei likes to call it - overflowing.
Huawei P40 Pro next to Huawei P40
One thing that's completely missing on the P40 is water-tightness of the shell. The P40 is only IP53 rated for medium dust resistance and light splashes. It's better than nothing, but whenever this ingress segmentation of the Huawei's flagship models ends, it'll still be late.
So, the front has the 6.1" OLED screen with elliptical punch-hole and rounded corners. It's still mind-boggling that we now call the 6.1-inchers compact, but the bezel-less era surely helped reduce the overall footprint and thus leave space for more pixels. And thanks to this smaller OLED, the P40 is indeed one reasonably compact smartphone.
The screen is of extended 1080p resolution, but thanks to the smaller panel size, the picture is quite sharp at 422ppi. The glass on top of it is of unknown origin, but Huawei has been using some sort of strengthened glass for a while now.
Unfortunately, Huawei has chosen not to bring 90Hz refresh rate on the P40 display and it's limited to 60Hz, which is so 2019. But with 2020 about to be cancelled, and more importantly - not everyone being able to notice the difference between 90Hz and 60Hz, we can understand Huawei's reasons not to push for 90Hz across the entire series.
Another thing that didn't make it on the P40 is the autofocus for the selfie camera. It's still 32MP and it still has an IR camera, so more secure face unlock is available.
Just like on the P30 Pro and P40 Pro, the display doubles as an earpiece. It vibrates to produce sound in voice calls and the sound is great. Unfortunately, it can't double as a speaker, hence there are no stereo speakers on either of the P40 phones.
The under-display fingerprint reader is superb - it is among the fastest available on the market, with excellent accuracy and reliability. It has 30% larger scanning area than the P30 generation and works noticeably faster and easier.
The back is where the photography magic is happening and the volcano-like protruding setup houses all essential hardware. Here you can see, left to right, the 16MP ultrawide, the 50MP primary, and the 8MP tele snappers. A dual-tone flash us below, but there is no fourth camera for depth purposes.
Huawei has designed the P40s backs to mimic a certain look of the flat point-and-shoot cameras from a not-so-distant era. And it surely works great for the P40. It comes with a price though - the phone wobbles a lot when used on a flat desk or table.
Anyway, once you are past the camera - you can enjoy one really nice view of Deep-Sea Blue - Huawei really knows how to make a captivating paint without it being over the top. The shade changes depending on the reflection, but the change is subtle and makes for a good, relaxing effect as opposed to, say, disco lights.
The Deep-Sea Blue, Black, and Ice White version are with the familiar glossy finish - meaning they are shiny and slippery. Huawei is also selling alternative matt models in Silver Frost and Blush Gold - so, if grip is important (it is), and you want a break from the polished panels, we strongly recommend the matt ones.
Huawei P40 has a metal frame, reasonably sized and shaped. It is enough to provide for a proper grip, even if it isn't ideal. The matt versions should do better in this aspect, of course.
Around the frame you'll see the volume and power keys on the right, while the bottom has everything else - SIM tray, USB-C port, mouthpiece, and speaker.
The P40 spreads at 148.9 x 71.1 x 8.5 mm - only 5mm taller than the iPhone 11 Pro. The P40 weighs 175 grams, which is about 13g lighter than the iPhone. The P40 is indeed a (2020) pocket-sized smartphone.
iPhone 11 Pro next to the Huawei P40
Handling the Huawei P40 is a flagship experience - just as most of the recent glass smartphones. The size is a nice break from the traditional large screen flagships, and the matt versions are appreciated for the grip. The one thing we do miss is the proper ingress protection - everything else is simply great with the P40.
https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_p40-review-2096p2.php
