Huawei’s 2019 flagship Android phones are the P30 and P30 Pro. Here’s what you need to know.
When is the Huawei P30 release date?
Huawei originally unveiled the phones at a dedicated event in Paris on 26 March, 2019. They went on sale on 5 April, 2019.
Initially, we thought the phones wouldn’t go on sale in the US, but for a time, they were available from retailers B&H – stocks have since depleted and not been restocked.
If you’re in the UK, check out the phones at Carphone Warehouse, EE, Vodafone and Sky Mobile.
Note that the P30 was announced before Huawei was put on the US trade blocklist (aka its ‘entity list’), and therefore continues to have full access to Google apps, services and security updates.
How much do the P30 and P30 Pro cost?
At launch, the P30 started at £699/€799 and the P30 Pro £899/€999 for 128GB (the latter cost £1,099/€1,249 for 512GB model).
In the US, the P30 started at $599, while the P30 Pro was available for $899. Unlike the original UK and European versions, it boasted double the internal storage at 256GB.
Find the best P30 deals here and read our P30 and P30 Pro reviews.
What are the specs of the P30 and P30 Pro?
Here are the original specs at launch, there are a couple of caveats, like a subsequent upgrade to Android 10 that’s likely en route to existing handsets and the two re-releases of the P30 Pro that have since launched with adjusted internals.
Related: Best Huawei phones 2020
P30 Pro | P30 |
Android Pie 9.1 + EMUI 9.1 | Android Pie 9.1 + EMUI 9.1 |
6.47in 2340×1080, 19.5:9 OLED display, 398ppi | 6.1in 2340×1080, 19.5:9 OLED display, 422ppi |
Kirin 980 octa-core processor | Kirin 980 octa-core processor |
Mali-G76 GPU | Mali-G76 GPU |
8GB RAM / 128 or 256GB storage | 6GB RAM / 128GB storage |
Cameras: 40Mp with OIS + 8Mp telephoto (5x) + 20Mp ultra-wide + TOF camera | Cameras: 40Mp with OIS + 8Mp telephoto (3x) + 16Mp ultra-wide |
Front camera: 32Mp, f/2.0 | Front camera: 32Mp, f/2.0 |
GPS + Glonass | GPS + Glonass |
4G LTE | 4G LTE |
4200mAh battery | 3650mAh battery |
USB-C SuperCharge 40W | USB-C SuperCharge 22.5W |
IP68 rating | IP53 rating |
Colours: Breathing Crystal, Amber Sunrise, Aurora, Pearl White, Black | Colours: Breathing Crystal, Amber Sunrise, Aurora, Pearl White, Black |
As of May 2020, Huawei is re-releasing the Pro model (technically for a second time) under the name ‘Huawei P30 Pro New Edition’.
The main difference, aside from an additional colourway (Silver Frost) is extra storage, with 256GB of internal space. Android 10 also features out the box with pricing and availability coming in at €749 on 15 May in Germany, followed by £699 on 3 June in the UK. This re-release allows Huawei to sell a phone in 2020 that doesn’t defy the terms of the US entity list. Now, back to the phones, side by side…
There are a few key differences between the two phones, just as there were between 2018’s P20 Pro and P20. The P30 isn’t water-resistant to the extent it can be submerged, but the P30 Pro can. That said, you get a standard 3.5mm headphone jack on the P30 but not on the P30 Pro.
In terms of screens, the P30 gets the same OLED tech as the Pro, mainly because they both have in-screen fingerprint sensors. The only difference between them is size: 6.1in for the P30 and 6.47in for the Pro.
Despite there being little noticeable difference in the size of the top bezels, Huawei didn’t put a traditional speaker at the top of the P30 Pro as it does on the P30. Instead, it vibrates the screen itself, similar to the LG G8 and Vivo Apex.
The other key feature you get on the P30 Pro is wireless charging, including reverse wireless charging – where the phone can charge another phone’s (or compatible smartwatch or headphones) battery wirelessly, just like the Mate 20 Pro.
Cameras are the other main difference. On the Pro, you get a 5x optical zoom which doubles to an effective 10x using Huawei’s hybrid system, using information from the main 40Mp sensor as well as the 8Mp telephoto camera. There’s a fourth camera which is used for depth information along with an IR flood illuminator to deliver a more convincing portrait photo with better bokeh.
Both phones have the same ‘SuperSpectrum’ 40Mp sensor, which uses red, yellow and blue sub-pixels – yellow replacing the traditional green – but the P30 has a 16Mp rather than 20Mp ultra-wide camera.
There’s a 3x telephoto lens on the standard P30, so despite the lower-resolution ultra-wide camera, the setup is most similar to the Mate 20 Pro, since it offers a 5x Hybrid zoom as well.
Read our reviews of the P30 Pro and P30 for more details on each phone.
We’ve also compared the two phones and explained how the P30 Pro is better than the P20 Pro that it replaced.
Related stories for further reading
Author: Jim Martin, Executive Editor
Jim has been testing and reviewing products for over 20 years. His main beats include VPN services and antivirus. He also covers smart home tech, mesh Wi-Fi and electric bikes.