Huawei has just presented the P40 and P40 Pro which are accompanied by an unexpected third model, the P40 Pro +. This premium edition has a better camera. The Huawei P40 Lite, as far as it is concerned, has been formalized since February 2020. Here is everything you need to know about the four emblematic models of the Chinese brand.
Over the years, the launch of Huawei’s P models has not only become a post-MWC tradition, but the Chinese firm has also decided to unveil its flagships after the Barcelona crowd. It is also an unmissable event each time. The P20 and, above all, the P20 Pro has established Huawei’s reputation in Europe. In particular, the brand’s ability to offer high-end smartphones that are largely capable of competing with Samsung.
The P30 and P30 Pro confirmed this reputation, the P30 Pro, in particular, having 4 rear photosensors, which are still unanimous today. The P40 and P40 Pro are the successors, using the same recipe while modernizing the proposal. You can find in our columns the full P40 Pro test. Presented on March 26, 2020, during a conference broadcast online, they are accompanied by an even more successful version: the P40 Pro + which is located on the second extreme of the range, the first being occupied by the P40 Lite, a model mid-range successor to the P30 Lite.
When will the P40, P40 Pro, and P40 Lite be available?
The Huawei P40 and P40 Pro will be available in France from April 21, 2020, online on the brand’s website and at partner merchants. They will be found in physical stores from May 4, 2020. The ultra-high-end version, the P40 Pro + will not be released until June. Both smartphones are available for pre-order with a free Huawei Watch GT2.
The P40 Lite played the Scouts. Presented in February 2020, it arrived in stores on March 11 in France. Recall that the P30 Lite had been formalized the same day as the P30, but only by way of the press release. The mid-range smartphone was absent from the press conference. This year Huawei has done it differently.
What is the price of the P40 series smartphones?
The three smartphones covered a very wide price range, ranging from 279 euros to 1,399 euros. The P40 Lite is the cheapest, of course. It is more of a competitor to the Galaxy A51 than a phone positioned in the same range as the Galaxy S. In contrast, the most expensive model will be the P40 Pro + which will position itself as an alternative to the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Here is the configuration of the prices.
- Huawei P40 (8 GB and 128 GB): € 799
- Huawei P40 Pro (8 GB and 256 GB): € 999
- Huawei P40 Pro + (8 GB and 512 GB): € 1,399
What are the data sheets for the P40, P40 Pro, and P40 Lite?
The data sheet for Huawei P40, P40 Pro, P40 Pro +, and P40 Lite is presented in the table below. We then approach point by point the broad outlines of the characteristics of smartphone quartets. From SoC to photo blocks, including batteries and charging power.
| Huawei P40 | Huawei P40 Pro | Huawei P40 Pro + | Huawei P40 Lite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | 6.57 inch OLED Quad HD 120 Hz |
6.7 inch OLED Quad HD 120 Hz |
6.7 inch OLED Quad HD 120 Hz |
6.4 inch Full HD LCD |
| Chipset | Kirin 990 5G | Kirin 990 5G | Kirin 990 5G | Kirin 810 |
| BONE | Android 10 + EMUI 10 | Android 10 + EMUI 10 | Android 10 + EMUI 10 | Android 10 + EMUI 10 |
| RAM | 8 GB minimum | 8 GB minimum | 12 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 128 GB minimum | 128 GB minimum | 512 GB | 128 GB |
| microSD | Yes (with Nano Memory card) | Yes (with Nano Memory card) | Yes (with Nano Memory card) | no |
| Main sensor | -40 MP -52 MP wide angle -8 MP (3x optical zoom) |
-40 MP -52 MP wide-angle -10x optical zoom sensor -ToF sensor |
-40 MP -52 MP wide-angle -10x optical zoom sensor -8 MP (3x optical zoom) -ToF sensor |
-48 MP (f / 1.8) -8 MP wide-angle (f / 2.4) -2 MP (f / 2.4) -2 MP (f / 2.4) |
| Secondary sensor | -32 Mp -ToF sensor |
-32 Mp -ToF sensor |
-32 Mp -ToF sensor |
-16 Mp |
| Drums | 3800mAh (22.5W SuperCharge) | 4200mAh (40W SuperCharge) | 4200mAh (40W SuperCharge) | 4200mAh (40W SuperCharge) |
| 5G | Yes | Yes | Yes | no |
| Biometrics | Integrated fingerprint scanner | Integrated fingerprint scanner | Integrated fingerprint scanner | Edge fingerprint scanner |
| Water resistance | Yes | Yes | Yes | no |
What is the processor of the P40?
The high-end P40 is equipped with a Kirin 990. This high-end component, already crossed in the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro (of which we have published a review ) is a component of which one of the versions is 5G compatible.
The Kirin 990 is an octa-core SoC composed of two powerful cores, Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.86 GHz, two slightly less powerful cores, Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.36 GHz, and four cores for daily use, Cortex-A55 clocked at 1.95 GHz. The whole is supported, for the graphic part, by an ARM Mali-G76 GPU with 16 cores.
The 5G modem is logically offered with the three high-end models of the P series. The P40 Lite is the only one not to benefit from it. It is equipped with a Kirin 880 SoC, an octa-core chipset here with two Cortex-A76s for the most demanding tasks and six Cortex-A55s for everyday use. Its graphics processor is an ARM Mali-G52 with six cores.
What are the specifications of the P40 batteries?
All P40s will be fitted with a battery compatible with SuperCharge fast charging. The power is 22.5 W for the standard P40 and 40W for the Pro and Pro + versions. Recall that the Mate Xs unveiled a few weeks earlier, takes advantage of the fast charge 55 watts. To come to the capacity of the batteries.
The P40 Pro + benefits from a 4,200 mAh battery, the same as that of the P40 Pro, while the standard P40 benefits from a 3,800 mAh battery, an evolution of only 200 mAh compared to the 3,600 mAh of its predecessor, the P30 doesn’t have 5G.
All high-end models of the P series are not compatible with wireless charging, only the P40 Pro (27 W) and P40 Pro + (40 W) also benefit from 27W reverse wireless charging. As for the P40 Lite, it is also equipped with a 4200 mAh battery and is compatible with a 40-watt fast charge. This is a clear improvement over the P30 Lite battery (capacity of 3340 mAh and fast charge of 18 watts).
What is the photo equipment of the P40?
The P40s are equipped with three to five photosensors on the back and a selfie sensor on the front, often accompanied by a Time of Flight (ToF) camera for calculating distances. The selfie sensor is a 32-megapixel model, except for the P40 Lite which incorporates a 16-megapixel sensor (without ToF camera).
The P40 has three sensors on the back. The first is a 50 megapixel model with a wide-angle lens, optical stabilizer, and phase detection autofocus. The second is a 16 megapixel model with an ultra-wide-angle lens. And the last one is an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
The P40 Pro has an additional sensor. We have the main module of 50MP, f / 1.9, an ultra-wide-angle sensor of 40MP f / 1.8, a 12 MP periscopic telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and a ToF module. Finally the P40 Pro + benefits from five sensors. There are the 50 and 40-megapixel sensors accompanied by an 8-megapixel periscope with 3x optical zoom and another 8 MP telephoto lens with 10x zoom, and finally the ToF camera.
The P40 Lite is equipped with a quadruple photo sensor on the back. The main sensor is a 48 megapixel model with a large aperture lens. The second is an 8-megapixel sensor with a wide-angle lens. The next two are 2-megapixel models. One is dedicated to proximity photography (macro) and the last calculate the depths for portraits. No optical zoom here.
Do the P40s come with Google apps and services?
The P40 Lite, P40, and P40 Pro are equipped with Huawei Mobile Services (or HMS) and not with Google Mobile Services. This follows the embargo put in place by the United States limiting access. This means that you will not find the Play Store, Search, Maps, Gmail or even Chrome preinstalled. In contrast, Huawei and Honor have worked on alternative services to provide a similar experience.
The pre-installed application store is Huawei AppGallery. In this store, which is similar to the Samsung Galaxy Store, you will find many applications, games, and themes. The selection is less extensive than that of the Play Store. But alternatives exist for the majority of services. And for others, it is enough to connect to it with the web interface with the preinstalled browser. Huawei has decided to replace Google with Qwant as the default search engine.
What is the design of the P40 series?
The design of the P40 and P40 Pro, which gives pride of place to mineral glass and aluminum, follows recent ergonomic trends. We find at the front a large touch screen with a punch in the upper left corner. Both models are equipped with a double selfie sensor, for a horizontally elongated hole.
Huawei P40
Huawei P40 Pro
The P40 Pro + is dressed, on the back, with ceramic and not mineral glass like the P40 and P40 Pro. Ditto for its slices, instead of aluminum. Dressed in the back of polycarbonate and not mineral glass, the P40 Lite is closer to the iPhone 11 than the Galaxy S20 with a square photo block with four locations.
It is located in the upper left corner as well. Its flash is placed below the block, not inside. At the front, the P40 Lite opts for a fairly classic screen, with a single selfie sensor housed in a circular punch.