The Huawei's Mate 30 series is here, and it's the first device from the Chinese company affected by the US's decision to put it on the entity list. This ban prevents any US company from working with Huawei, making this is the first Huawei phone that doesn't ship with Google's apps and services (including the Play Store).
In its place, Huawei is using its ecosystem of apps, which will be available through the Huawei AppGallery. And it'll ship with the Huawei Mobile Services core instead of Google's services. Huawei claims they have integrated over 45,000 apps with plans to invest US$1 billion into its software ecosystem. What that will mean for users and the company and their relationship with Google is something we will see as time goes by.
Google also needs to keep an eye out for Huawei. If having a smartphone that isn't reliant on either Android or iOS becomes successful, it could mean a shift in the industry. Smartphone manufacturers might opt to invest in their systems.
The Huawei Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro run on Huawei's new Kirin 990 processor, which is the first from the company to get a built-in 5G modem. That also means these models get 5G versions. The phones run on EMUI 10, which is based on Android 10 and offers features like dark mode and gesture control through the sensors housed in the notch. The devices will support both facial unlock and fingerprint unlock via an in-displays sensor.
On the hardware side, the Mate 30 and Mate 30 Pro come with all the expected specs of flagship smartphones. Both sport Leica-branded rear cameras featuring a circular camera cutout Huawei calls the Halo Ring design.
You have the expected hardware specs on a flagship phone. Both come with a Leica-branded rear camera with a circular camera cutout Huawei calls the Halo ring design. The Mate 30 comes with a primary 40-megapixel camera with an f/1.8 aperture, an ultra-wide-angle 16-megapixel f/2.2 camera, an 8-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto camera, and a "laser focus" sensor. Meanwhile, the Mate 30 Pro has a better resolution 40-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera with an aperture of f/1.8 and switches the laser focus sensor for a 3D depth one. When it comes to video, Huawei claims the phones are capable of recording up to 4K in 60fps or up to 7680fps in slow motion when filming in 720p.
While the Mate 30 has a more traditional flat display at 6.62 inches, the Mate 30 Pro features a new curved 6.53-inch display. Since it curves around the edges, Huawei gets rid of the physical volume keys for an invisible virtual key, which also serves as a shutter button.
Say goodbye to physical keys, with #HuaweiMate30 Pro's side touch design.
— Huawei Mobile (@HuaweiMobile) September 19, 2019
Tap the Invisible Virtual Keys for dual side control. #RethinkPossibilities pic.twitter.com/OKzDrD1Ucm
Both phones have different battery capacities. The Mate 30 Pro has a larger 4,500mAh battery, while the Mate 30 has a 4,200mAh battery. They support 40W wired or 27W wireless fast-charging.
The Mate 30 Pro comes in Cosmic Purple, Black, Silver, and Emerald Green. There's also a "Vegan Leather Edition" with an orange leather colour.
The Huawei Mate 30 will be available with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Its starting price is €799 (around CA$1,170). Meanwhile, the Mate 30 Pro bumps up the internal storage to 256GB, and it has a starting price of €1,099 (around CA$1,600) for the 4G model or €1,199 (around CA$1,750) for the 5G model.
Source: The Verge