More than a year after the ban that the US has imposed on Huawei, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro has been on the market for several weeks now, a powerhouse from the point of view of hardware, which however must do without all the services and Google app. We'll be honest right away: the Mate 40 Pro is Huawei's best attempt at creating a smartphone without Google, but will it be enough to counter the competition with Big G onboard services?
When it comes to design, Huawei has always been in pole position. The Mate 40 Pro is also no exception. The terminal resembles its smaller brother P40 Pro due to the pill-shaped front camera cutout in the upper left corner. The front, beyond the camera hole, is completely clean, with a display that folds down on both sides, and which immediately returns a top-of-the-range visual sensation.
On the edges, therefore, Huawei has maintained 88-degree curves, which meet perfectly with the thinner rear curvature, to return a mono-block effect, and which in the hand gives an excellent feeling. Despite the weight of 212 grams, the terminal holds well in the hand. It certainly has its weight, and you will feel it even when stored in your pocket.
On the back there is the new “Space Ring”, that is the name that Huawei gave to the camera block, with the four sensors arranged in the corners of a square imagined within a circular section. It is a clear homage to the Mate 30's circle of cameras, which naturally stands out on the back cover of the device, and which certainly suggests what the most important feature of the terminal is. The multimedia side, precisely.
With the Mate 40 Pro, Huawei has given space to maximum elegance, with a clean style, even on the edges, where the volume balance is present, which therefore returns after the choice of the Mate 30, which entrusted the volume control to gestures. .
Display
Huawei Mate 40 mounts in a 6.76-inch panel. This is a display with a maximum resolution of 2772 × 1344 and a maximum refresh rate of 90Hz. If you look at the competition that in some terminals implements a QHD panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate, it might seem that Huawei has not given its best, yet in daily use the panel of this Mate 40 Pro can be appreciated.
Colors can be adjusted according to needs and tastes, and overall it's a big impact display, not least because of the size. The important curvature at the edges is done very well, even if gray shades can be seen at the ends, certainly due to the glass that bends. 
Cameras
Beyond all, when you have a Huawei in your hand, the first element that comes to mind is the multimedia department. Of course, the terminal is equipped with Leica lenses. The rear cameras feature a 50MP main camera that uses Huawei's unique RYYB sensor for increased light sensitivity, a 20MP ultrawide camera that doubles as a main camera, and a 12MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and a maximum digital zoom of 50x. There is also a laser depth sensor that helps with special effects and AR applications when needed.
Already from the first shots, what you notice compared to the most impressive competition, namely the latest iPhone 12 from Apple, you can see images with colder colors, but no less qualitative. The images enjoy absolute detail.
Ultrawide photos are also of great quality, with the Mate 40 Pro's 0.6x camera always capturing colors much more accurately than the competition.
In general terms, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro is one of the best cameraphone around, with quality photos in any area; from panoramic panoramas to foreground subjects, as well as portraits.
The periscope telephoto lens supports 5x optical zoom, and photos taken at this zoom level are so precise and sharp that you would hardly think of enlarged photos at first glance. It is possible to reach a magnification of 50x optically, which simply crops the image, but which in any case are absolutely not to be discarded: certainly they are rather grainy, but it is still a usable feature and not at all to be discarded.
Portrait mode is great: images have no bokeh effects, but lights and shadows are optimized to bring out the subject more naturally.
The best of itself comes when the sun goes down. This is where the Huawei Mate 40 Pro really shines. It shines in the truest sense of the word, considering that photos taken in low light conditions look fantastic, rich in detail, always faithful colors, and balanced light and shadow. Obviously, Portraits in low light conditions are also absolutely enjoyable.
On the front, the Huawei Mate 40 Pro has dual cameras, with an ultra-wide 13MP snapper and f / 2.4 aperture joined by a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor for better depth detection. Selfies are very good, with very enjoyable colors and the ability to adjust the frame thanks to the use of an ultra wide angle lens.
There is a lot to enjoy with the Mate 40 Pro's cameras, among the various modes that Moon, the Dual View which allows you to record videos with the front and rear cameras at the same time, various slow-motion settings up to 3840 fps (impressive, even if you have maximum detail up to 960 fps) and various Light Painting modes, to create artistic shots with light streaks, from cars to fireworks.
Finally, the video department, the terminal uses the ultra-wide sensor, not the main one, to record videos up to 4K 60fps. On the other hand, if you activate image stabilization mode or subject detection, the resolution will drop to 1080p at 30fps.
The movies are great, with surprisingly vivid colors for a video recorded on a smartphone. Even without the stabilization mode enabled, however, videos don't suffer too much from shaking; lastly, an applause also to the zoom mode without interruptions up to 10x.
Performance
Huawei Mate 40 Pro employs the Kirin 9000 chip paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Obviously in everyday life the terminal runs beautifully. It goes without saying that there are no hitches, lags or freezes, and the graphical interface is extremely fluid, as is the transition from one app to another. In short, the Mate 40 Pro is always snappy and fast and we never encountered delays during intense activities or opening heavy apps.
Obviously, we cannot be silent about the absence of Google services and apps. Once in hand, you will initially feel the lack of all those Big G services we are used to. First of all, the Play Store is missing, but it is only the tip of the icerberg, because you will immediately realize the impossibility of synchronizing contacts, photos, appointments on the calendar.
Fortunately, AppGallery, Huawei's store, is starting to be populated with the most important apps, and it won't struggle too much to install Telegram, rather than WhatsApp, rather than many other everyday apps. The use of the integrated search engine, called Petal, will help users download the main apps, returning the fastest source for installing the app on the terminal via APK. For example, just write “Whatsapp” to be redirected to the official website, to download the application.
As for Google, you can set shortcuts to YouTube or Google Photos websites on the desktop. It will certainly not be like having the native app, but still you will be able to see videos and photos from the respective Google services. Similarly, the calendar can be accessed via the mobile website. In short, it is certain that Google is not present with its apps, but after an initial setup you will be able to access most of the most used features.
Obviously, it is not a ready-to-use terminal for those who make a massive use of G Apps, just as it will be necessary to familiarize yourself with the APKs of the apps to be downloaded from third party sites and alternative stores, however now safe and simple to use: in most in cases, after searching for the app on Petal, the download of the APK file will start and can be installed with just one click.
Battery and autonomy
The battery of this Mate 40 Pro is 4,400 mAh, which ensures long life at the terminal. It supports 66 W wire charging, while the wireless side reaches a 50W charging power. After 30 minutes of charging, the Mate 40 Pro reaches over 80% charge, while a full charge is achieved in just 45 minutes.
Conclusions
Huawei Mate 40 Pro is certainly one of the best smartphones on the market, if you look at the photographic department, performance and daily use. All of this, of course, net of the absence of Google services. For this reason, despite the verdict on this terminal can only be positive, Mate 40 Pro is a terminal to be purchased only if you are able to live with the absence of the experience offered by Big G, which can only be lived indirectly, and in part, thanks to the web version of various services, such as Google Photos, YouTube and Calendar. Certainly the average user will not be at ease initially, and only after a careful setup will it be possible to obtain an experience as similar as possible to that offered by a terminal with Google services. We feel obliged to specify it also because the terminal has a considerable cost, with an official price list of 1,249 euros.
PRO
VERSUS
On Amazon you can buy it from this address.
