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Huawei Phones & Smartphones

Do you need a smartphone but not sure which one to buy? Huawei is a Chinese tech giant and the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, behind Samsung. Huawei phones are popular around the globe because they offer innovative features that continue to wow customers, especially when it comes to camera, battery, and display. These, along with plenty of other features, put Huawei phones in a class of their own.

It’s worth noting that given the recent US trade ban with China, Huawei’s future is debatable. The ban and privacy issues led to Google pulling out of China, and the Huawei smartphones no longer work with Google apps and services like Google Maps and YouTube. If you can get by without using Google, you may enjoy Huawei mobile phones. But because most of us use Google for a search engine, email, Google Maps and apps, it might be a difficult hurdle to overcome when you’re in the market for a new phone.

What are the pros and cons of Huawei phones?

Huawei phones have really hit their stride with wide-lens cameras and exceptional quality photos. Their displays, battery power, and camera give Apple and Samsung a run for their money. Even Huawei’s older phones have top-notch specs like top of the line displays, class-leading cameras, and powerhouse batteries. Of course, when it comes to choosing a phone, there are plenty of other options. The cons, which include no headphone jack and a big price tag, are easy to forgive if you’re looking for superior camera quality.

What are the best Huawei smartphones on the market?

Huawei P30 Pro

Right now, the best Huawei phone you can buy is the Huawei P30 Pro. The camera capabilities are hard to match. The lens features a 5x and 10x zoom, and a digital 50x zoom so you can shoot photos from far away. Night mode allows you to shoot quality photos in the dark.. The Huawei P30 Pro’s 6.47-inch screen is bright and clear, giving you an excellent surface to stream and game. Plus, the battery life is unmatched. You don’t have to worry about charging while you’re traveling, commuting, or running from task to task.

Another big star of the P30 Pro show is the in-screen fingerprint sensor. It makes it faster to open your phone, even when your fingers are dry. But perhaps the most killer feature about Huawei is the battery. The P30 Pro offers reverse wireless charging, which means you can charge other wireless smartphones by just slapping it onto the back of the P30 Pro. This feature is a perfect segue into some of the drawbacks of this Huawei phone. The operating system, Android 9.0 Pie, has some quirks that can be annoying or enjoyable, depending on how much control you want over an always-on display. There isn’t room to customize these settings and the phone is missing a double-tap feature to wake the phone up, which all things considered, isn’t the worst thing in the world, but still annoying. Not to mention, this phone has a single speaker and no audio jack.

You can also upgrade the P30 Pro’s operating system to Android 10 or the Huawei EMUI 10 via an update. Before you try updating your phone with the EMUI 10 update from Huawei, make sure your phone is compatible. Older Huawei phones listed below will not get the update.

  • Huawei Nova 3
  • Huawei Nova 3i
  • Huawei P20 Lite
  • Honor Play
  • Honor 9
  • Honor 9 Lite
  • Honor 8X

Huawei P30

The Huawei P30 is a close runner-up to the Pro. Although the overall experience is similar between the two phones, including the extraordinary Leica-engineered lenses, there are some differences. The battery life is still impressive on the P30, but not quite as long-lasting as the Pro. Together with a 4200mAh battery and 6.47-inch curved display, the P30 Pro offers just a bit more when it comes to battery and size. The P30 still packs a 3650mAh battery, which is great for any smartphone and a 6.1-inch flat display, which is big enough to stream and game. Both use the same Kirin 980 processor, but the Pro has more RAM with 8GB compared to the P30’s 6GB so you have more room to store photos and files with the Pro. The phone specs are a standout when you’re searching for a phone in Canada. Huawei is an excellent choice, especially if you love taking pictures on your phone.

Huawei P30 Lite

While on the subject of the P30 family, it’s worth noting that the P30 Lite is an option for those not looking to splurge on the P30 or the P30 Pro. Overall, the Lite is what you would expect a Lite version to be—not as many impressive specs and smaller storage space. The Kirin 659 processor is not slow, but it’s nowhere near as fast as that of its older siblings,the P30 and the P30 Pro, so you may experience a bit of lag. On the positive side, the P30 Lite is reliable and a much more affordable option if you want to stay in the Huawei family.

Other Huawei smartphones

Huawei’s phone portfolio is impressive and downright fancy. The manufacturer offers a phone for nearly every type of consumer, and their flagship phones have created a buzz in the smartphone world. Other than the P30 series , here are Huawei’s other outstanding, all-around phones that are worth checking out.

Huawei P20 Pro

While the Huawei P20 Pro is no longer Huawei’s flagship phone, it still has a lot to offer, especially with its camera and long-lasting battery. Even though the US is no longer selling the P20 Pro, you can purchase it in Canada, from third-party sellers and even some carriers like Telus and Bell. In short, Huawei knew what they were doing when they created the P20 Pro as their 2018 flagship phone. It checks all the boxes in terms of camera, battery, and a brilliant colour scheme to make it a stand-out phone.

At a glance:

  • Excellent battery life
  • 3x optical zoom
  • Night mode shots
  • Metal frame with a glass back
  • Facial recognition
  • Vivid colour display

Huawei P20

If you have your eye on the P20 Pro but don’t want to pay hundreds more for it, the P20 will still deliver good performance but you’ll have to settle for just a two-lens camera. Plus, if you plan on shooting photos in low-light settings and you don’t want a phone that’s going to break the bank, compare this model to others in its class, like the iPhone 11 or the Samsung Galaxy S10E. Furthermore, if you’re hoping this phone will be water resistant like the P20 Pro, you’re in for a disappointment. Splash-proof is as far as this model goes. But, it does come in the infamous “twilight” colour and that’s something to get excited about.

At a glance:

    • Excellent battery life
    • 3x optical zoom
    • Night mode shots

Huawei P20 Lite

Huawei phones are known for amazing colour display, long-lasting battery, and of course, the feature that makes it such a special smartphone, the camera. Similar to the P30 Lite, the Huawei P20 Lite doesn’t have the same bells and whistles as its Pro siblings, but it’s still a solid phone.

At a glance:

  • Nice design
  • Adequate camera
  • Facial recognition

Huawei P30 Pro vs iPhone XS Max

If you’re considering a Huawei P30 Pro, chances are you’re in it for the camera. The camera is exceptional with a range of lenses, from telephoto to wide-angle, that are easy to use. While the iPhone also has first-class lenses, Huawei has a periscope lens that lets you take a hybrid 50x digital zoom photo. That’s a win for the P30 Pro.

The basic story of the two phones’ lenses is that the Huawei P30 Pro tries to improve photos, but the iPhone wants to capture the most out of the photo. This can lead to over-processed photos from the P30 Pro. Huawei also contains skin smoothing which may make photos look artificial.

Huawei P30 Pro vs iPhone XS Max
Huawei P30 ProApple iPhone XS Max
Screen size6.47-inch AMOLED6.5-inch Super Retina HD OLED True Tone display
Operating systemAndroid 9.0 Pie (under EMUI 9.1)iOS 12
Storage space128GB, 256GB, 512GB64GB, 256GB, 512GB
ProcessorKirin 980Apple A12 Bionic
RAM8GB4GB
CameraQuad-lens 40MP, 20MP, 8MP, and ToF rear, 32MP frontDual 12MP (with dual OIS) rear, 7MP TrueDepth front camera
Battery4,200mAh
40W Huawei SuperCharge
15W Qi wireless fast charging
3,174mAh
Fast charge capable (Additional charger needed)
Qi wireless charging
ColoursAmber Sunrise, Breathing Crystal, Pearl White, Aurora, BlackSilver, Space Gray, Gold
Price$899.99 $1,149.99

Huawei P40 Pro Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

If you are interested in a smartphone camera throw-down, pull up a seat. Here we compare the Huawei P40 Pro Plus directly to Samsung’s flagship phone—the Galaxy S20 Ultra. The first thing you’ll notice is that the P40 Pro Plus’ display is slightly smaller at 6.58-inch display vs. Samsung’s enormous 6.9-inch display. The Samsung’s beefy 5,000 mAh battery packs slightly more punch than the Plus’ 4200 mAh battery. The Huawei P40 Pro Plus’ internal processor is the super powerful Kirin 990 5G and the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 865. If you live in an area that has a 5G network, good news. Both phones are 5G compatible. Both phones have tons of RAM —the P40 Pro Plus has 8GB and the Galaxy S20 Ultra has a whopping 12 GB and even more for extra $200.

Taking all of this into consideration, the specs that differentiate the phones the most is (drumroll please) the camera.

The Huawei P40 Pro Plus has a five-lens system on the back of the phone. Yep, that’s right. Five. This selection of lenses includes a:

  • 50MP main lens
  • 8MP periscope telephoto lens
  • 8MP telephoto lens
  • 40MP ultrawide
  • ToF sensor

Whether you’re birdwatching or on vacation, you’ll have fun playing with the capabilities on the Huawei P40 Pro Plus camera. The buffet of lenses is every photographer’s dream, making it an amazing smartphone and camera. The most impressive upgrade from the P30 Pro is the 100x zoom and built-in a 10x optical telephoto lens. In contrast, Samsung also offers an excellent 10x zoom, but it doesn’t stand a chance compared to Huawei’s 100x zoom.

Huawei manufactures white-label phones as well as their own branded phones. While the company has been around for some time, they only just broke into the mobile device market in 2003.

Huawei phones are highlighted by the flagship P series of phones. These phones are loaded with all the features you can expect to find in your typical high-end phone.

Huawei P40 Pro Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Huawei P40 Pro PlusSamsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
Size158.2 by 72.6 by 9mm (6.23 by 2.86 by 0.35 inches)166.9 by 76 by 8.8mm (6.57 by 2.99 by 0.35 inches)
Weight226 grams (7.97 ounces)
220 grams (7.76 ounces)

Screen size
6.58-inch OLED6.9-inch AMOLED

Screen resolution
2,640 x 1,200, 20:9 ratio (441 pixels per inch)3,200 x 1,440 pixels, 20:9 ratio (511 pixels per inch)
Operating systemAndroid 10; EMUI 10.1Android 10; One UI 2
Storage512GB128GB, 512GB
ProcessorKirin 990 5GQualcomm Snapdragon 865
RAM8GB12GB, 16GB
Camera50MP, 8MP periscope telephoto, 8MP telephoto, 40MP ultrawide, PDAF time-of-flight rear, 32MP front, AP IR ToF front108MP, 48MP telephoto, 12MP ultrawide, 0.3MP time-of-flight rear, 40MP front
Fingerprint sensorYes, in-displayYes, in-display
Battery4,200Ah
Fast charging (40W)
Fast wireless charging (40W)
5,000mAh
Fast charging (45W)
Qi wireless charging (15W)
ColoursWhite Ceramic, Black CeramicCosmic Grey, Cosmic Black, Cloud White
Prices$1,600$1,400

Huawei P30

If you consider the camera the most important part of a phone, the Huawei P30 might be the phone for you. Its rear Leica triple camera includes a 40MP wide-angle lens, a 16MP ultra-wide-angle lens, and an 8MP telephoto lens. This hardware combined with top-notch software powers camera features like night mode, 30x zoom, color sensing to get the right amount of light in your shots, and long exposure.

The Huawei P30 runs on Huawei’s own EMUI 9.1 operating system which is a custom build of Android 9 and is powered by their Huawei Kirin 980 Octa-core Processor.

Learn more in our guide to the

Other Huawei Phones

You can find information about more of Huawei’s phones in the following guides:

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