Review of the smartphone Huawei Mate 40 Pro: a new photo flagship
24 / 03 / 21
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The previous model, Mate 30 Pro, managed to get cheaper, and as a result, the new product turned out to be one and a half times more expensive. Should you pay extra for the new Mate 40 Pro? We study the issue in detail.
In October, now last year, Huawei introduced the Mate 40 and Mate 40 Pro.
Design and display
Screen: 6.76 inches (2772x1344) 90Hz
The design of the Mate 40 Pro has all the features of the flagships. First of all, this is a display with rounded edges - it looks very cool, although the smartphone strives to pop out of the hands. The frame of the case is naturally metal. Since placing cameras “like everyone else” on flagship models is somehow “not comme il faut”, an original solution was used here: lenses and a flash were inscribed in a circle. Unlike the previous model, the Mate 40 Pro has all the elements located closer to the edge of the circle, and in the center there was a place for an insert in the color of the case with the Leica logo.
The rounded edges of the screen forced the engineers to move the volume rocker and power button on the right side closer to the rear panel. But on the left there is nothing superfluous at all. The SIM card slot is at the bottom, along with the only USB-C connector. There is no audio jack, you guessed it, - the owner of a smartphone for 80,000 rubles should also have money for a wireless headset.
What's next on the flagship chip list? OLED display, of course. Here it is exactly that, with a diagonal of 6.76 inches. The figure is actually somewhat frightening and confusing: after all, the smartphone does not look like an impressive "shovel". But there is no mistake in this - just the number of inches is indicated taking into account the screen crawling to the edges. So even in a small hand, the gadget is quite organic. Needless to say, the screen is excellent: with a resolution of 2772 × 1344 and a pixel density of 441 ppi, there can be no complaints about the picture.
A few words about the increased refresh rate. It is difficult to say why it is only 90 Hz here, whereas even in the middle class there are models with a frequency of 120 Hz. But one way or another, the difference with the standard 60 Hz is noticeable - of course, for the better. By default, the gadget adjusts the frequency depending on the type of content on the screen, but in the menu you can forcibly enable or disable those same 90 Hz.
Cameras
Primary: 50 MP, f / 1.9, hybrid autofocus
Wide-angle: 20 MP, f / 1.8
Telephoto lens: 12 MP, f / 3.4
Front: 13 MP
Cameras are what Huawei's flagship models really love. The main module here is the same as in the P40 Pro, with a resolution of 50 megapixels, a Quad Bayer system and an aperture of f / 1.9. Special thanks for the good width: many mid-range smartphones have such a low resolution that there is no desire to use a wide angle. Here, 20 megapixels give excellent detail.
Wide angle camera
In principle, numbers aside, the Mate 40 Pro cameras give the user complete freedom of action. There are no usual restrictions like “you can shoot with zoom, but not more than x2” or “there is a night mode, but it is better to find a lighter street”. I would like to shoot with 5x magnification - no question, the picture will turn out to be quite high quality.
Telephoto lens
Bright lights or illumination on a dark street will also work well, and it is not even necessary to turn on the night mode. Here are two shots: one in automatic mode, the other in night mode. Try to find the difference.
Night mode
The same applies to the front-end. Everyone can separate the background from the main object, but not every smartphone does this as delicately as the Mate 40 Pro. Selfie lovers will be pleased not only with the good quality, but also with various bokeh effects - for example, you can do without blur, make it in the form of hearts, or replace it with a black background with a light accent in the right place.
Performance
Processor: Kirin 9000, 8 cores
Memory: 8/256 GB
The Mate40 Pro is the first smartphone powered by a Kirin 9000 processor using a 5nm process technology (the same one used by Apple's A14 Bionic). There is no point in discussing its performance for a long time, since in combination with 8 GB RAM, the smartphone can easily handle any tasks and games at high graphics settings. One can only complain about the permanent memory, which is 256 GB (and no options are simpler or "fatter"). It can be expanded, but only with nanoSD cards, which are difficult to find on sale.
Battery
Capacity: 4400mAh
Supports Huawei SuperCharge Fast Charging (66W)
Reverse charging function
Although the battery does not set records in terms of capacity here, we all know that real autonomy also depends on system optimization and energy consumption. And they did a good job here. At least with moderate use, the smartphone easily "lives" for 2 days. And it charges, by the way, in less than an hour. Moreover, he can do this in two ways: via a USB-C cable (the kit includes a 66-watt adapter) and via wireless charging (it must be purchased in advance).
Our impressions
One can argue for a long time how adequately the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is rated. But if you compare it with competitors, the price does not seem so high anymore. This smartphone will be of interest primarily to fans of mobile photography, although its other parameters correspond to the level of the flagship: high power, high-quality display and a spectacular body, good autonomy and support for fast charging.
