Huawei Mate 40 Pro Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is a smartphone that truly embodies innovation and sophistication. With its stunning design and powerful performance, it's a gadget that will catch the eye of any tech enthusiast. Boasting a 6.76-inch OLED display and a screen-to-body ratio of nearly 94%, the visuals on this device are nothing short of breathtaking. Powered by the Kirin 9000 5G chipset and 8GB of RAM, it delivers seamless multitasking and smooth gaming experiences. The camera setup is equally impressive, featuring a triple camera system with Leica optics, capable of capturing stunning photos and videos. With a price starting at around 790 EUR, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is a premium device that is worth every penny.

Design and Build Quality

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro exhibits a sleek and premium design that immediately catches the eye. With its glass front and back, or the option of an eco leather back, and an aluminum frame, it exudes a sense of elegance and sophistication. The dimensions of 162.9 x 75.5 x 9.1mm (Glass) or 9.5mm (Leather) make it comfortable to hold and operate. The device weighs 212g, which gives it a substantial feel without being overly heavy.

The Mate 40 Pro's physical appearance showcases a stunning 6.76-inch OLED display with a high screen-to-body ratio of approximately 94.1%. The display features HDR10 support and a 90Hz refresh rate, providing vibrant colors and smooth visuals. The 1344 x 2772 pixels resolution ensures sharpness and clarity in every detail.

Huawei has paid attention to the finer details of the Mate 40 Pro's design, ensuring it is both aesthetically pleasing and practical to use. The device is IP68 dust and water-resistant, adding to its durability. It also incorporates an in-display fingerprint sensor, minimizing the need for physical buttons on the front.

The construction and build quality of the Mate 40 Pro are commendable, with sturdy materials and a robust frame. The glass or eco leather back adds a touch of luxury, while the aluminum frame provides structural integrity. The device feels solid and well-built, instilling confidence in its longevity.

In terms of ergonomics, the Mate 40 Pro offers a comfortable grip, although its larger size may require two-handed operation for some users. The placement of buttons and controls is well thought out, ensuring easy access and intuitive usage. The bezels around the display are minimal, maximizing the screen real estate.

Overall, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro presents a device with a sleek design and a premium look and feel. Its robust construction, attention to detail, and ergonomic considerations make it an appealing choice for those seeking a high-end smartphone experience.

Display

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro features a stunning display that is sure to impress. With a large screen size of 6.76 inches and a high resolution of 1344 x 2772 pixels, the display offers a sharp and detailed viewing experience. The aspect ratio of 18.5:9 provides an immersive widescreen experience, perfect for watching videos and playing games.

The Mate 40 Pro utilizes OLED technology, which ensures vibrant colors and deep blacks. The color accuracy and vibrancy of the display are commendable, offering a visually pleasing experience. The brightness levels are impressive, making it easy to view the screen even in bright outdoor conditions. Additionally, the display features an anti-reflective coating, further enhancing outdoor visibility.

The display is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, providing durability and resistance to scratches. The pixel density of the display is also noteworthy, with a density of approximately 456 pixels per inch. This results in sharp and detailed visuals.

The Mate 40 Pro supports a high refresh rate of 90Hz, allowing for smooth and fluid scrolling and animations. HDR (High Dynamic Range) support ensures a broader range of colors and improved contrast, resulting in more lifelike and immersive visuals. The display also offers a wide color gamut, enhancing the overall visual experience.

The viewing angles of the Mate 40 Pro are excellent, with minimal color shifting when viewing the screen from different angles. The device also features an always-on display, allowing users to quickly glance at important information without fully activating the device.

Other display features include a blue light filter to reduce eye strain, adaptive brightness for optimal viewing in different lighting conditions, and screen calibration options to customize the display settings according to personal preferences. Overall, the display of the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is a standout feature, offering a visually stunning and immersive experience.

Performance

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro boasts impressive performance capabilities, thanks to its advanced chipset and powerful GPU. The device is powered by the Kirin 9000 5G chipset, a cutting-edge 5nm processor that delivers exceptional speed and efficiency. With its octa-core CPU, consisting of a combination of Cortex-A77 and Cortex-A55 cores, the Mate 40 Pro offers excellent multitasking performance and handles demanding tasks with ease.

In terms of GPU performance, the Mate 40 Pro's Mali-G78 MP24 GPU delivers outstanding graphics scores and ensures a smooth gaming experience. It excels in gaming benchmarks and provides high frame rates, allowing users to enjoy graphically intensive games without any lag or stutter. The device's gaming capabilities are further enhanced by its 90Hz OLED display, which offers a fluid and immersive gaming experience.

The Mate 40 Pro's processor efficiency is notable, as it efficiently manages power consumption while delivering impressive performance. This results in longer battery life and reduced heat generation, ensuring that the device remains cool even during extended gaming sessions. The thermal management system of the Mate 40 Pro effectively dissipates heat, preventing any performance throttling.

In benchmark tests, the Mate 40 Pro consistently achieves high scores, showcasing its exceptional performance across various synthetic benchmarks. Its CPU benchmarks demonstrate its processing prowess, while its GPU benchmarks highlight its graphics capabilities. The device's performance metrics reflect its smooth user experience and lag-free performance.

Additionally, the Mate 40 Pro excels in app loading speeds, thanks to its optimized system and efficient RAM management. Apps launch quickly, and users can seamlessly switch between multiple apps without experiencing any slowdowns. The device's overall system optimization ensures a snappy and responsive user interface.

In summary, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro offers top-notch performance in all aspects. Its powerful chipset, GPU, and efficient thermal management system contribute to its smooth operation and exceptional gaming experience. Whether it's handling demanding tasks, providing a lag-free gaming experience, or delivering fast app loading speeds, the Mate 40 Pro excels in every aspect of performance.

Software and User Interface

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro comes with the Android 10 operating system, customized with Huawei's EMUI 11 interface. However, it's important to note that due to the ongoing trade restrictions, the Mate 40 Pro does not have access to Google Play Services. This means that users will not have access to popular Google apps such as Gmail, YouTube, and Google Maps out of the box. Instead, Huawei provides its own AppGallery as an alternative app store. While the AppGallery has been steadily growing and now offers a decent selection of apps, it may still lack some popular ones that users are accustomed to.

In terms of customization, the EMUI 11 interface offers a range of options to personalize the user experience. Users can choose from various themes, wallpapers, and icon packs to make their device feel unique. The interface is smooth and responsive, thanks to the powerful Kirin 9000 5G chipset and ample RAM. The Mate 40 Pro also supports gesture-based navigation, which enhances the user-friendliness of the device.

As for pre-installed apps, the Mate 40 Pro does come with a selection of Huawei's own apps, such as Huawei Health, Huawei Assistant, and Huawei Browser. While these apps offer some useful features, some users may consider them as bloatware if they prefer using alternative apps. However, it's worth noting that Huawei has made efforts to improve the user experience by allowing users to uninstall or disable some of these pre-installed apps.

Overall, the software experience on the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is smooth and user-friendly, with a range of customization options. However, the absence of Google Play Services may be a drawback for users heavily reliant on Google apps. Nonetheless, Huawei's AppGallery continues to expand and improve, offering an increasing number of apps for users to enjoy.

Camera

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro boasts a powerful camera system that delivers exceptional image quality across various shooting scenarios. With its triple camera setup, consisting of a 50 MP main camera, a 12 MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 20 MP ultrawide lens, this device is well-equipped for capturing stunning photos. The main camera features a wide aperture of f/1.9 and a focal length of 23mm, allowing for excellent low-light sensitivity and depth of field control. The large sensor size of 1/1.28" ensures detailed and sharp images, while the multi-directional phase detection autofocus and laser autofocus systems ensure quick and accurate focusing.

In daylight photography, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro produces natural colors with great accuracy. The images exhibit impressive sharpness and dynamic range, capturing a wide range of details in both highlight and shadow areas. The camera's low-light performance is also commendable, thanks to its advanced image stabilization technology and noise reduction capabilities. The dedicated night mode further enhances low-light sensitivity, enabling users to capture clear and well-exposed photos even in challenging lighting conditions.

The camera features on the Huawei Mate 40 Pro are extensive, offering options such as portrait mode, HDR, panorama mode, and pro mode for manual control over settings. The AI scene recognition intelligently identifies different scenes and optimizes settings accordingly, ensuring optimal results in various environments. When it comes to video recording, the Mate 40 Pro supports 4K video capture with excellent detail and clarity. The built-in video stabilization feature minimizes shakes and jitters, resulting in smooth and professional-looking footage. Slow-motion video and time-lapse options are also available, providing users with creative ways to capture and share moments. The device supports various video formats, allowing for flexibility in sharing and editing videos.

Battery Life

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is equipped with a robust Li-Po 4400mAh battery that provides impressive battery life. It offers a combination of fast wired charging with up to 66W power output, wireless charging with up to 50W power output, and reverse wireless charging at 5W. This ensures that the device can quickly replenish its battery when needed. The battery performance of the Mate 40 Pro is commendable, providing users with a reliable backup throughout the day. The device also incorporates power efficiency and optimization features to maximize battery usage and minimize drain. With its efficient chipset and software optimizations, the Mate 40 Pro offers a good balance between performance and battery life. The device supports various charging technologies and options, providing flexibility for users to choose their preferred method. Additionally, the battery management system ensures the longevity and health of the battery, allowing users to enjoy extended endurance without worrying about frequent charging.

Connectivity and Networking

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro offers a wide range of connectivity options to keep you connected wherever you go. With support for 5G, you can experience blazing-fast data speeds and enjoy seamless streaming and downloading. In terms of wireless connectivity, the Mate 40 Pro features Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, allowing you to connect to both older and newer Wi-Fi networks. The device also supports Bluetooth 5.2, enabling you to connect wirelessly to other devices such as headphones or speakers.

Additionally, the Mate 40 Pro comes with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, which allows for convenient contactless payments and file transfers. The USB Type-C 3.1 port ensures fast and reliable wired connections, while also supporting OTG (On-The-Go) functionality, allowing you to connect USB peripherals directly to your phone.

For those who require dual SIM functionality, the Mate 40 Pro offers the option for either a Nano-SIM and eSIM combination or a Hybrid Dual SIM with two Nano-SIM cards. This flexibility allows you to easily switch between different networks or plans.

When it comes to navigation, the Mate 40 Pro is equipped with GPS (L1+L5), GLONASS, BDS, GALILEO, QZSS, and NavIC, providing accurate positioning and reliable navigation. And if you need to share your internet connection with other devices, the Mate 40 Pro supports mobile hotspot functionality, allowing you to create a Wi-Fi hotspot for your other devices to connect to.

In conclusion, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro offers a comprehensive range of connectivity options, including 5G support, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB-C, dual SIM compatibility, and advanced navigation capabilities. Whether you're browsing the web, streaming media, or staying connected on the go, the Mate 40 Pro has you covered.

Additional Features

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro boasts several standout features that make it a top contender in the smartphone market. Firstly, it comes with an IP68 rating, making it both water and dust resistant. This means you can confidently take your phone for a swim or use it in dusty environments without worrying about damage.

Another noteworthy feature is its support for wireless charging. The Mate 40 Pro supports Qi wireless charging, allowing you to conveniently charge your device without the need for cables. This feature is especially useful for those who are always on the go and don't want to hassle with cords.

In terms of sensors, the Mate 40 Pro is equipped with a wide range of advanced sensors. These include an accelerometer, gyroscope, and a sensor suite that includes motion and environmental sensors. These sensors enhance the user experience by enabling features such as gesture control and accurate fitness tracking.

Overall, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro offers a compelling package with its standout features like water and dust resistance, wireless charging, and advanced sensor suite.

Comparison with Other Related Phones

The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is a flagship smartphone that competes with other top-tier devices in the market. When comparing it to related gadgets, some key competitors include the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, iPhone 12 Pro Max, and Google Pixel 5.

In terms of specifications, the Mate 40 Pro boasts a large 6.76-inch OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, which is comparable to the Galaxy S21 Ultra's 6.8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display and the iPhone 12 Pro Max's 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display. However, the Mate 40 Pro falls slightly behind in resolution with 1344 x 2772 pixels compared to the higher resolutions of its competitors.

One area where the Mate 40 Pro stands out is its camera setup. It features a triple-camera system developed in collaboration with Leica, including a 50MP wide-angle lens, a 12MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 20MP ultrawide lens. This puts it on par with the camera capabilities of the Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max, both of which are known for their exceptional camera performance.

In terms of performance, the Mate 40 Pro is powered by Huawei's own Kirin 9000 5G chipset, which offers impressive processing power. However, it does not have access to Google Play Services, which may be a drawback for some users. The Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max, on the other hand, run on the latest Snapdragon or A14 Bionic chipsets respectively and have access to a wider range of apps and services.

When it comes to pricing, the Mate 40 Pro is positioned as a high-end device with a price tag of around 790 EUR. In comparison, the Galaxy S21 Ultra and iPhone 12 Pro Max are priced similarly, while the Google Pixel 5 offers a more affordable option.

Overall, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro holds its ground against other flagship devices in terms of design, camera capabilities, and performance. However, the lack of Google Play Services may be a limiting factor for some users, and the pricing is competitive but not significantly lower than its counterparts. It will ultimately come down to individual preferences and priorities when choosing between these top-tier smartphones.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is undeniably a top-tier smartphone with impressive features. Its sleek design, vibrant OLED display, and water-resistant build make it visually appealing and durable. The powerful Kirin 9000 chipset ensures smooth performance, while the ample RAM and storage options provide ample space for all your needs. The Leica-powered triple camera setup captures stunning photos and videos, and the 5G connectivity future-proofs your device. However, the absence of Google Play Services may be a drawback for some users. Overall, if you can overlook the software limitations, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is a compelling choice for those seeking a high-end smartphone experience.