Computer Shopper - UK (2019-08)

ISSUE 378|COMPUTER SHOPPER|AUGUST 2019

Batterylife

0% -50 Reference + 50 + 100

Seepage110forperformancedetails

PROCESSOROcta-core2.6GHzKirin980•SCREENSIZE6.5in•

SCREENRESOLUTION2,340x1,080•REARCAMERA 40

megapixels,24megapixels,8megapixels,ToFsensor•STORAGE

128GB•WIRELESSDATA4G•NFCYes•DIMENSIONS

158x73x8.4mm•WEIGHT192g•PARTCODE51093RKU

SPECIFICATIONS

21h22m

22m before its 4,300mAh capacity battery was
depleted. Youshouldn’t have any problems trying
to squeeze out two days’ use on asingle charge.

QUAD’S SAKE
Of course,the Huawei P30 Pro’s star feature isn’t
the processor,its battery lifeoreven the swish
design, but the quadruple Leica camera array.
The primary sensor is an optically stabilised
40-megapixel unit with awide aperture of f/1.6.
What’s special here is that, rather than using an
RGB Bayer filter on topofthe sensor to capture
in full colour,this camera employs the less
commonly used RYBfilter,replacing the green
elements of the filter with yellow.
Huawei calls this SuperSpectrum imaging,
and it supposedly makes the camera more
capable of capturing abroader spectrum of light.
Huawei says the P30 Pro should be better
equipped forlow-light environments as aresult.
This approach does have some potential
drawbacks, however.A2016 study by the
Society forImaging Science and Technology
suggests that, while an RYB-based sensor can
capture abroader spectrum of light, it mayalso
be more susceptible to chroma flare and noise.
This isn’t something we’ve noticed after giving
it aproper stress test, however.

The main camera is accompanied by anew
20-megapixel, ultra-wide sensor,which shoots
at aslightly wider angle than the Mate20Pro’s
equivalent, allowing you to capture even more
dramatic vistas.
The P30 Pro has also seen an upgrade to its
camera zoom capabilities. This time around you’ll
find an 8-megapixel, f/3.4unit with up to 5x
optical zoom –abig upgrade on the P20 Pro’s 3x
zoom. Huawei has achieved this by using a
periscope-style housing, tilting the camera on its
side and capturing the image via atiny mirror.
This is why,ifyou look closely enough, this third
camera is square in appearance,not circular.
The fourth component isn’t so much acamera
lens as aToF (Time of Flight) sensor,like that of
the Oppo RX17 Pro (Shopper375). This consists of
two parts: an emitter that sends out beams of
infrared light, and areceiver that monitors how
quickly the light is reflected back to the sensor.
Essentially,it’s amore precise method of
measuring depth than the usual stereoscopic
technique used by most smartphones today.
The ToFsensor admittedly doesn’t produce
any major benefits to stills photography or even
video footage,although in theory it should
enable more precisely cut out portrait images.
What Huawei aims to do with it is to improve the
phone’s augmented reality (AR) measurement
features, meaning you should be able to measure
distances, volumes and area to an increased 98%
accuracy.These features won’t be available at
launch; instead, Huawei says they’ll be enabled
in afuture software update.

As forvideo,the P30 Pro can record a

maximum 4K resolution at 30fps, but you’ll only

be able to record at asilky-smooth 60fps if you

drop the resolution to 1080p.Both optical and

electronic image stabilisation are enabled by

default in video forsuper-stable looking shots

(Huawei calls this AIS). Slightly less useful, and a

lot more gimmicky, is the addition of anew,

‘dual-view’ video recording mode,which allows

you to capture footage using any two of the

phone’s rear cameras simultaneously.

Image quality is as good as the Mate20Pro,if

not better in some instances. In both good light

and poor,the P30 Pro is capable of capturing

truly exceptional pictures, filled to the brim with

detail and bright, vibrant colours that appear to

pop right out of the screen.

Although there’s aslightly noticeable delay

when switching between cameras, the multiple

shooting modes all work very well. The 5x zoom,

forinstance,isideal forcreeping intothe

backgroundofanimage,handyforamateurwildlife

photography or shooting dramatic skylines.

The hardware is great, then, but the same

can’t be said about Huawei’s fiddly camera app.

It’s overly complex and can be an incredibly

convoluted and confusing experience.Ifyou want

to access the wide-angle and zoom shooting

modes, forinstance,you have to switch from the

phone’s maximum 40-megapixel shooting

resolution to 10 megapixels and tediously cycle

through each mode.There’s nothing in the

camera software that tells you this beforehand.

GREATNESSATHAND

It mightnot look as if much has changed on the

surface,but dig alittledeeper and you’ll find a

smorgasbord of big changes that go along way

towards justifying the high price.There’s an awful

lot of substance to the P30 Pro and, while time

will tell whether its quadruple camera arrayhas

the same long-lasting appeal as its predecessor,

the P30 Pro’s wide-ranging photographic

capabilities are simply the icing on the cake of

perhaps the most well-rounded flagship to date.

Sure,its high-end rivals are plentiful –and

in some cases do things slightly better in key

areas –but Huawei’s elegant P30 Pro represents

the very pinnacle of smartphone design.

NathanSpendelow

CUSTOM BUILD

GAMING PCs

Free UK Shipping

3Year Limited Warranty

Finance Options Available

WWW.CYBERPOWERSYSTEM.CO.UK

@CYBERPOWER_UK

@CYBERPOWERUK

Follow Us!

Finance Options Available

WWWWWWW.WWWWW.W.W.W.CYW.W.CYCYCYCYBEBEBEBEBEBERPRPRPOWRPRPOWOWOWOWOWOWERERERSYSYSYSYSTEMEM.CO.UK

@CYBERPOWERUK

FollowUs!

In both good lightand poor,the P30 Proiscapable of capturing

truly exceptional pictures, filled to the brim with detail