It's here: Huawei Mate 30 (Pro) is official – and has a problem

Last updated on March 9, 2021

Huawei has two large smartphone series in the range. The P series is traditionally presented in spring. Autumn is reserved for the Mate series, which this year has been expanded with the Mate 30, the Mate 30 Pro, and the slightly weaker Huawei Mate 30 Lite. Not only the camera is in focus with the new smartphones, Huawei has also screwed on the design. And something else is different this year – the software. Because she cares for problems …

Huawei Mate 30 has to do without Google Apps

It already hinted, now it’s official: The Mate 30 series has to do without the important Google apps. Due to the trade dispute with the US, Huawei has not received any licenses to install the services. Although there is a grace period extended to November 19, when American companies like Google are allowed to do business with China as usual, this only applies to existing devices, but not to new models like the Mate 30 (Pro).

For this reason, the smartphones of the series lack the well-known Google Apps – especially the Play Store. This is a problem because users without the Play Store can not easily load new apps onto their smartphones. Huawei uses an open source version of Android (AOSP) on the Mate 30 (Pro). Applications can therefore only be installed via APK, for example via F-Droid or the Amazon App Store. Without the Google licenses, however, it is much harder to deliver security updates quickly. The whole construct is not really round. The manufacturer now also has its own operating system with the HarmonyOS. However, this is not a real alternative to Android at this time and has therefore not yet been installed on the new smartphones.

Huawei Mate 30 (Pro): These are the new smartphones

The Mate 30 Pro has an AMOLED display, which bends left and right around the edges and also takes up and down a lot of space on the front. Huawei calls this “Horizon Display”. The display diagonal indicates the manufacturer with 6.53 inches. Strange, however, the resolution seems, because this falls with 1,176 x 2,400 pixels (Full-HD +) for such a large screen far too small. By comparison, the 6.39-inch Mate 20 Pro resolves 1,440 x 3,120 pixels. The bend allows Huawei to use sensor buttons instead of haptic buttons. This not only allows you to adjust the volume via the curved touchscreen, it also triggers the camera.

Less pronounced is the display bending on the Mate 30. But it is with 6.62 inches but slightly larger than the Pro variant. The resolution here is 1,080 x 2,340 pixels.

The already known from the predecessor elongated Notch has retained Huawei. Here, among other things, the 3D camera space, which requires more space than a regular front camera. With a 3D front camera Huawei can make the face unlocking safer. Because it scans the user’s face through various sensors significantly more complex than a simple camera, which in turn contributes to security. An ambient light sensor and a gesture sensor are also housed in the Notch.

Camera: round instead of square

Huawei has opted for a round camera mount on the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro. After focusing on features such as low-light shooting and loss-free zoom for previous generations of smartphones, the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro manufacturer focused on the video feature. Huawei can finally catch up with the competition when it comes to video. Because the new devices support 4K video recordings at 60 fps (frames per second). Previous models offered a maximum of 30 fps and were thus behind in the video recording behind other top smartphones. Now Huawei has added additional features such as the 4K Time Lapse and Super Slow Motion.

The number of camera sensors has not changed in the Mate 30 Pro compared to its predecessor. The Leica branding continues. However, the wide-angle camera now apparently resolves 40 instead of just 20 megapixels. The result is the following composition: A main camera with 40 megapixels, f / 1.6 aperture and OIS, a 40-megapixel wide-angle and an 8-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, f / 2.4 aperture and also optical image stabilization. A time-of-flight sensor (ToF) provides additional depth information.

The resolution of the front camera has raised Huawei from 24 to 32 megapixels.

Technical features of the Huawei Mate 30 (Pro)

Not surprisingly works in the Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro, the Kirin 990 in the 5G version. Huawei recently introduced the new chip at the IFA. A special feature of the chip is the built-in 5G module. A total of 21 internal antennas ensure that the Mate 30 securely connects to Wi-Fi, LTE, 5G or NFC.

Everything about the Kirin 990: This can Huawei’s new top processor

The Pro model has 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal memory. On the other hand, the Mate 30 has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal memory on board.

But not only the memory, even with the battery, the Mate 30 Pro has the edge. Here Huawei has a battery with 4,500 mAh included – 300 mAh more than the predecessor Mate 20 Pro. The battery can be charged wirelessly, with the manufacturer has accelerated the wireless charging. The Mate 30 (Pro) supports charging via Qi with up to 27 watts. That’s almost twice as fast as the Mate 20 (Pro). Wired SuperCharge is possible with 40 watts and as a power bank for other devices with wireless charging, the Mate 30 (Pro) can be used again – but now with three times the charging speed.

The Mate 30 Pro is protected from water after IP68. For the base model Mate 30 Huawei does not call this protection.

Prices and availability

The prices for the smartphones Huawei has already set. The Huawei Mate 30 costs 799 euros. For the pro model, the manufacturer demands 1,099 euros. Another 100 euros more expensive is the 5G version of the Mate 30 Pro. However, the question remained unanswered when the devices appear in Germany. THAT they come has confirmed Huawei in a conversation.