Huawei has revealed their new flagship series of smartphones, the P40 series known for its impressive camera mastery. The three devices released in this series are the Huawei P40, the Huawei P40 Pro and the Huawei P40 Pro+.
Featuring a new design aesthetic, the P40 series is “inspired by the beauty and form of flowing water, the Quad-Curve Overflow Display is innovated to dissolve the barriers of vision and imagination on every edge”.
The entire series sport OLED displays with different resolutions and sizes. The P40 has a 6.1″ display with a native resolution of 2340 x 1080. The Pro and Pro+ have a 90Hz refresh rate, where the entire fluid screen boasts an “immersive view. A full-screen display only disturbed by a hole-punch for the selfie camera and infrared camera”. The P40 Pro and Pro+ both have a resolution of 2640 x 1200.
The 90Hz refresh rates are new to Huawei flagship phones and help with Huawei’s fluidity aesthetics, giving the overflow displays newfound fidelity and movement akin to the water that the Huawei design team prize so much.
P40 smartphones will come in either Black or Silver Frost.
The series shares the same amount of RAM (8GB) and the same homegrown HiSilicon Kirin 990 SoC (Kirins are mythical creatures from Asia akin to unicorns, usually depicted draped in lightning, and appear before the imminent arrival of an illustrious ruler) which fully supports 5G.
In terms of storage, the P40 has 128Gb of internal space, while the P40 Pro has 256GB and the Pro+ has an impressive 512GB. The P40 has IP53 water/dust resistance, and the Pro versions have improved water resistance with the IP68 rating.
The P40 Pro and Pro+ share the same size battery at 4,200mAh, with the P40 sporting a smaller battery at 3,800mAh. The Pro versions also feature new 40W wireless charging.
Finally, where the main focus of the smartphones is and where Huawei usually distinguishes itself, is with the cameras. The three models share the same main 50MP Ultravision sensor, the largest sensor in modern smartphones (1/1.28″) according to Tech Weez. The Ultravision is already much bigger than the S20 Ultra, already massive at 1/1.33″, and has half the number of pixels.
Ultravision has f/1.9 aperture, and 100% of its pixels support phase detection autofocus which means focusing as well as optical image stabilization – pictures captured within motion will appear as if the camera is still.
Regular P40s are releasing with the 16MP ultra-wide camera, an 8MP telephoto camera with OIS and an f/2.4 aperture, while the Pros have 40MP ultra-wide. The Pro contains a 12MP telephoto camera with an f/3.4 aperture, while the Pro+ has an 8MP 10X optical ‘periscope’ telephoto camera and another 8MP 3X optical telephoto camera.
The entire series share the same 32MP f/2.2 selfie cameras, with the Pros having infrared depth sensor support.
Of course, all the models in the series run on Android with HMS – the Huawei Mobile Service that seeks to appease longtime fans of Google’s Mobile Service.
Already, the P40 Lite is available internationally, while the P40 and P40 Pro have their release lined up for 7 April globally. The Pro+ will launch later in June 2020.
South African Lockdown Affecting Release Dates
With South Africa undergoing lockdown for 21 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Huawei will have to postpone its launch in the country at least until after the lockdown is over – and even then, there is no guarantee that the lockdown will not be extended.
Huawei has since closed its retail stores in line with the lockdown, however, its 24/7 WhatsApp support, helpline, and HiCare app will remain operational to support Huawei users across the country.
The Huawei P40 will retail at $927.70 (R16,999), and the P40 Pro at $1201.58 (R20,999).
