Huawei P30 Pro vs P30 – what are the differences?

Huawei has launched two new phones today, and while they are very similar, there's a few key differences between them. You might be wondering whether the P30 Pro is worth the upgrade over the P30, or which phone you should buy. Well, we have the answers for you.

Huawei P30 Pro vs P30 – what's the same?

Before we get into the key differences, what do these two devices have in common? They're both sporting OLED displays with FHD+ resolution (although the size and therefore density, differs between them). They both have 32MP front-facing cameras with f/2.0 aperture, which is located in the water drop notch atop the front screen.

They are both powered by Huawei's latest Kirin 980 processor with a Dual NPU offering excellent AI benefits in the camera, as well as the performance and battery optimizations.

They both run Huawei's own EMUI 9.1 user experience on top of Android Pie, including a series of new features such as Audi Digital Key – allowing you to use the phone to unlock and start your car instead of your Audi connect key – and the ability to pull data in from your treadmill, as long as it's a compatible model.

They're both available in the same five colors – Black, Pearl White, Breathing Crystal, Aurora – an evolution on last year's Aurora and Twilight color schemes – and Amber Sunrise, a beautiful red infused orange that's based on a gorgeous sunset.

Huawei P30 Pro vs P30 – what's different?

The similarities are a few, and both devices offer a familiar Huawei experience, but the differences are vast. First, the P30 Pro is slightly larger with its 6.47-inch Curved OLED display, compared to the 6.1-inch non-curved OLED screen on the P30. As such, the P30 is slightly sharper than the P30 Pro, although you won't notice the difference.

The P30 Pro has more RAM and storage. The P30 comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, but the P30 Pro has 8GB of RAM and either 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage options. Both can be expanded via Huawei's Nano Memory card. The P30 Pro is dust and water resistant to 1 meter for up to 30 minutes, while the P30 is only splash proof and isn't as durable.

The battery is considerably larger in the P30 Pro at 4,200mAh, vs the 3,650mAh cell inside the P30. The P30 Pro also comes with 40-watt fast charging, 15-watt fast wireless charging and the ability to charge other devices and accessories wirelessly, while the P30 has Huawei's standard-but-still-fast 22-watt fast charging.

The biggest difference is in the camera. The P30 has the same camera array as the Mate 20 Pro last year, although it does have the new 40MP Huawei SuperSpectrum camera for better low light photography. It also has a 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera and 8MP telephoto lens offering 3X optical zoom, 5X hybrid zoom and up to 30x digital zoom.

By comparison, the P30 Pro has four cameras. It has the same 40MP SuperSpectrum camera, but the ultra-wide-angle camera is a 20MP sensor. There's also a Time of Flight camera for vastly improved depth mapping and better bokeh effects. The fourth camera is a periscope camera offering 5X Optical zoom, 10X digital zoom and up to 50X Optical zoom. We've gone into more detail on the P30 Pro's camera in our first look, and our initial camera impressions, but it's safe to say, it is fantastic!

One major difference might make you more inclined to buy the P30 – the 3.5mm headphone jack. Yes, Huawei has split its devices with the regular P30 sporting a headphone jack, while the P30 Pro goes all-digital with audio through the USB-C port. The P30 also has a regular earpiece speaker right above the display, while the P30 Pro relies on acoustic display technology to transmit phone call audio through the screen itself.

Huawei P30 Pro vs P30 – what does the specs sheet say?

Here's the full specs list for each device:

Huawei P30 Pro vs P30 – which should you buy?

Ultimately, the P30 Pro is definitely the better phone but the differences aren't quite as stark as between the P20 and P20 Pro. The regular P30 brings all the best of last year's flagships and the camera is still going to be one of the best. If the current trend of phones without headphone jacks drives you crazy, the P30 is definitely the device for you.

The P30 Pro is definitely the star of the show. Whether it's the Time of Flight camera, the slightly better ultra-wide-angle or the periscope zoom, the camera is better. The rest of the phone has everything you'd expect from a high end smartphone and if you're looking for the best overall experience, the P30 Pro is definitely the device you should buy.