(Pocket-lint) – Huawei’s P30 and P30 Pro came out early last year. The P30 replaced the P20, while the P30 Pro succeeded the highly popular P20 Pro. But how do they differ from each other?

Since these phones have launched, we’ve also had the launch of the P40 and P40 Pro in early 2020. However, those phones don’t have Google apps like Google Maps and YouTube due to Huawei’s trade ban from the United States.

Therefore many networks aren’t stocking these newer handsets and we don’t recommend them over, say, the P30 Pro.  

So here are the differences and similarities between the P30 and P30 Pro. Which is the right one for you?

What’s the same on the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro?

• Processor 
• Software experience
• Waterdrop notch
• Front camera

The P30 and P30 Pro both run on the same platform- the Kirin 980 – and they both have the same software UI and experience too – Android with EMUI 9 or 10 on top (depending whether or not you’ve got the latest update). 

Both the P30 and P30 Pro have waterdrop notches at the top of their displays, like the OnePlus 6T, and both opt for optical in-display fingerprint sensors. They also both have a 32-megapixel front camera.

The P30 and the P30 Pro have similar designs too, with metal frames sandwiched between glass panels and they both come in several beautiful pearlescent finish options.

What’s different on the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro?

Whilst the design language and software experience is similar across both the P30 and P30 Pro, there are a number of differences between the two models.

squirrel_widget_147531

Waterproofing

• P30 Pro: IP68
• P30: IP53

The Huawei P30 Pro features IP68 water and dust resistance, putting it in line with other flagships. 

The standard P30 meanwhile, has a slightly lower IP rating at IP53, making it less resistant to water and dust compared to the Pro model.

Display

• P30 Pro: 6.47-inch, OLED, 2340 x 1080, 19.5:9
• P30: 6.1-inch, OLED, 2340 x 1080, 19.5:9

The Huawei P30 comes with a 6.1-inch display, while the P30 Pro comes with a larger 6.47-inch screen. The P30 also has a flat display, while the P30 Pro has a curved display.

Both are OLED panels though, both come with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and both come with the same resolution, which makes the P30 the sharper of the two devices.

Size

• P30: 149.1 x 71.36 x 7.57mm, 165g
• P30 Pro: 158 x 73.4 x 8.41mm, 192g

The physical size of the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro are different too. The P30 measures 149.1 x 71.36 x 7.57mm and weighs 165g, while the P30 Pro is larger at 158 x 73.4 x 8.41mm to accommodate the larger display. It is also heavier at 192g.

Cameras

• P30: Triple rear camera, 3x optical zoom
• P30 Pro: Quad rear camera, 5x optical zoom

The main difference between the P30 and P30 Pro is the rear camera system, as was the case with the P20 and P20 Pro. The P30 has a triple rear camera system, while the P30 Pro has a quad rear camera system.

The P30’s triple camera system is made up of a 40-megapixel main sensor with a f/1.8 aperture, a 16-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and an 8-megapixel zoom sensor with a f/2.4 aperture. It has 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom.

The P30 Pro has a 40-megapixel main sensor with a f/1.6 aperture, a 20-megapixel ultra-wide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and an 8-megapixel zoom sensor with a f/2.4 aperture. It offers 5x optical zoom and up to 50x digital zoom. The P30 Pro also has an additional Time of Flight sensor for depth.

Hardware

• P30: Kirin 980, 6GB RAM, 128GB storage, 3650mAh battery
• P30 Pro: Kirin 980, 8GB RAM, up to 512GB storage, 4200mAh battery, wireless charging

The Huawei P30 and P30 Pro have the same Kirin 980 processor but the Pro model offers more RAM, at 8GB compared to 6GB and a larger battery capacity. The P30 has a 3650mAh battery, while the P30 Pro has a 4200mAh battery.

The Pro model also comes in three storage capacities of 128GB, 256GB and 512GB, while the standard P30 only comes in 128GB. Both support Huawei’s Nano Memory card for storage expansion up to 256GB.

The P30 Pro comes with reverse wireless charging, like other recent Huawei devices since the Mate 20 Pro, but the P30 misses this feature and wireless charging in general off its list. 

squirrel_widget_147530

Conclusion

The Huawei P30 Pro is superior to the P30. This superiority comes in the form of a more advanced camera system, more RAM, a larger battery capacity and a larger display.

Watch our hands-on with the Huawei P30 Pro: 

Writing by Britta O’Boyle. Editing by Dan Grabham.