While people are swooning over the camera capabilities of the Huawei P40 Pro and P40 Pro+, let’s take a closer look first at the starter model (and apparently, the most affordable) in the batch – the Huawei P40. Since we’ve already unboxed this sleek phone, here are things that we’ve noticed after using the unit for a few weeks.

First, I’d be frank that jumping from my usual P30 Pro to a P40 feels like an uncharted territory. While the P40 is noticeably smaller and is missing a couple of apps in its AppGallery, features like the triple camera, 5G connectivity, and primary camera sensor somehow makes up for it – that is, if you don’t really use a lot of apps on your phone.

DESIGN + DISPLAY

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The P40 is lightweight and quite small with its 6.1-inch OLED screen. However, the size is just right for my palm and its in-screen fingerprint scanner is positioned perfectly where my thumb would be while holding the phone. That’s a really good placement if you ask me.

I personally love the curved metal design and the minimal ports available. The P40 doesn’t have an audio jack as well, but it does come with wired earphones with a Type C port (which I really love). The Blush Gold variant is clearly a must-have for us, but the other colors – Deep Sea Blue, Ice White, Black, and Silver frost – are also neat-looking.

CAMERAS

Another Leica gem, P40’s Ultra Vision Leica Triple Camera setup produces good photos, considering that it’s also equipped with an AI system that easily detects what it’s looking at and adjust settings based on what is needed. At the rear, the 50MP Ultra Vision Camera + 16MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera + 8MP Telephoto Camera with AI Image Stabilization makes it easy to get a decent 30x zoom shot and wide-angle shot. The cameras work better under well-lit areas, though.

A notable feature of the P40 is its AI Remove Reflection for images taken through a window or glass casing. Although it’s not yet perfect, there is still a noticeable difference between the original and enhanced image.  

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In front, a 32MP camera and an IR infrared sensor work together to distinguish the subject from the background, enabling better portrait shots even while in a low-lit location. We took photos in the dark as well, using only its screen flash to test it out:

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OTHER SAMPLE PHOTOS

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PERFORMANCE

With a Kirin 990 processor, the Huawei P40 was able to get an AnTuTu Benchmark score of 449k. Majority of the apps that we’ve downloaded are games (Mobile Legends and other shooting games included) – just to test if there are dropped frames. We didn’t encounter problems with this and in fact, we were able to operate apps smoothly while keeping other apps running in the background.

Another notable feature of the P40 is its 5G connectivity; however, maximizing its use might take some time since not a lot of areas in the Philippines have 5G connections. We’d also like to take this opportunity to reiterate that 5G doesn’t have adverse effects to your health (and most importantly, it does not transmit viruses like COVID-19. No to fake news!).

SECURITY

To ensure that all files and game rankings are kept safe, the P40 has different levels of security – including a lock screen code, fingerprint ID, face recognition, and even an App Lock. Photos, videos, music and other files can also be encrypted for maximum peace of mind. In case the phone gets stolen, it’s equipped with a ‘Find My Phone’option that lets you locate, lock, and erase data via cloud.huawei.com or a different Huawei device with the use of your Huawei ID.

BATTERY

P40 has a 3800mAh battery, which is already pretty decent compared with the other two phones in the P40 series. The only difference (and possibly a disadvantage) is that it can only be charged via a wired Huawei SuperCharge charger, while the P40 Pro and P40 Pro+ can be charged using a wireless one. While charging time is fast, users still have different battery modes to choose from – Performance Mode, Power Saving Mode, or Ultra Power Saving Mode to manage the juice. Battery usage can also be optimized via Settings. Screen and WiFi consumed most of the battery, followed by games (Lords Mobile on top for me).

As someone who plays music in the morning and play random games at night, the P40 was able to keep up with my usual routine without the need to be charged mid-day. Note that I had also optimized it at this point.

APPGALLERY

Huawei has already launched its self-developed app distribution platform called AppGallery, which is already a default app store for their latest batch of smartphones. It’s still in its infancy stage and its collection of apps continue to grow, day by day. However, the biggest advantage of using it would be its App Rewards feature, which entitles users to claim app vouchers, VIP privileges, and other freebies from chosen apps. The last time that we checked, the AppGallery was offering Gifts like Php 100 off on GMovies, free Php 40 on PayMaya, and free Php 597 on Booky when apps are installed.

For other P40 apps, you can either (1) clone your old Huawei phone, (2) download or request the app from the AppGallery, (3) download via Huawei Browser, or (4) get via third party applications like App Taken. It can be tricky to look for specific apps, but locally famous ones like PayMaya, BDO, Booky, ClickTheCity, Lazada, GlobeOne, ABS-CBN News, SSS, TikTok, Facebook, and Viber already exist in the gallery. If it’s not there, just go to “Add to Wishlist” in your AppGallery account and click “Auto-install when available”.

OVERALL + PRICE

For the price of Php 36,990 – considering all the freebies (e.g. Huawei x Gentle Monster eyewear, FreeBuds 3, Band 4) that come when you pre-order it this month, the Huawei P40 is already a steal. The Leica cameras and processor are an advantage for Huawei units as these never fail to capture images in full detail and help in our productivity. The design is very sleek as well and rewards under the AppGallery seem pretty enticing, too! However, this phone may not be suitable for people who do not like tinkering with their devices and those who want to maximize 5G connectivity. The screen size is also smaller than usual releases, but it’s not a big deal if you prefer smartphones that can easily fit in your pocket or purse.

At the end of the day, considering what the most important feature of a phone for you remains to be the utmost priority in deciding whether or not to buy a gadget. If you fancy the Huawei P40, pre-order is still ongoing via Lazada, Shopee, and MemoXpress so we highly suggest that you avail it with its freebies this month.

For more tech finds and to know our take on our latest discoveries, don’t forget to follow Manila Millennial via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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FULL SPECS:

Size	148.9 mm x  71.06 mm x 8.50 mm (H x W x D)*
Weight	Approx. 175 g (including the battery)*
Colors	Deep Sea Blue, Ice White, Black, Blush Gold, Silver Frost
Display	6.1 inches Type: OLED Color: 16.7 million colors Resolution: 2340 x 1080 pixels  Note: The resolution measured as a standard rectangle, with a rounded corners design, the effective pixels are slightly less.
Water and Dust Resistant	IP53
CPU	HUAWEI Kirin 990 5G 2x Cortex-A76 Based 2.86GHz + 2x Cortex-A76 Based 2.36GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 1.95GHz  Note: The corresponding model is ANA-NX9, ANA-AN00, ANA-TN00. HUAWEI Kirin 990  2x Cortex-A76 Based 2.86GHz + 2x Cortex-A76 Based 2.09GHz + 4x Cortex-A55 1.86GHz  Note: The corresponding model is ANA-LX4.
GPU	Mali-G76
NPU	Big Core + Tiny Core NPUs (Neural-network Processing Unit)
Memory	6 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM  8 GB RAM + 128 GB ROM  8 GB RAM + 256 GB ROM  Supports NM Card, up to 256 GB (not inbox)
OS	EMUI 10.1 (based on Android 10)
Cellular	2G/3G/4G/4G+/5G networks** Note: The corresponding model is ANA-NX9, ANA-AN00, ANA-TN00.  2G/3G/4G/4G+ networks** Note: The corresponding model is ANA-LX4.
Camera	Rear Camera: Ultra Vision Leica Triple Camera  50MP Ultra Vision Camera, Wide Angle, f/1.9 aperture  16MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera, f/2.2 aperture  8MP Telephoto Camera, f/2.4 aperture, with OIS Supports autofocus, supports AIS (HUAWEI AI Image Stabilization)    Front Camera: 32MP Selfie Camera, f/2.0 aperture  IR Camera
Sensor	Gesture Sensor  Ambient Light &Proximity Sensor  In-Screen Fingerprint Sensor  Gyroscope  Compass  Gravity Sensor  Hall Sensor  Color Temperature Sensor  Laser Sensor  NFC
Battery	3800 mAh (Typical Value)
Charging	22.5W Wired HUAWEI SuperCharge  Note: HUAWEI SuperCharge cable and charger is required.

WATCH: Unboxing new Huawei P40 and how to pre-order until April 24

SPECS SHEET: Huawei P40, P40 Pro, P40 Pro+ full specs, price, pre-order details