It may be the last of its kind considering the problems Huawei has in getting parts but leaving that out; the Huawei Mate 40 series is here. Consisting of the Mate 40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro+, Huawei puts a lot of effort into performance and cameras. That does not go unnoticed; it is even the best tested camera ever, according to DXOMark.
The Huawei Mate 40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro+ look a lot alike and focus on the cameras. Huawei even incorporates this in the design with a round camera module, which they call 'Space Ring Design'. The camera system in both phones was again developed together with Leica.
Both phones have a primary camera, ultra-wide-angle lens and a telephoto lens for zoom. The difference between the Pro and Pro+ is mainly in that zoom camera. The regular Pro has a periscope lens with 10x hybrid optical zoom and 50x digital zoom, the Pro+ stretches that to 20x hybrid and 100x digital zoom. In any case, DXOMark's testers are impressed by the camera; they award a score of 136 to the Huawei Mate 40 Pro. The highest score ever for a mobile phone.
Horizon Display and Kirin 9000 chipset
Both units will also have a 6.76 inch OLED display called Horizon Display. It owes its name to the 88 degrees that it bends to the sides. The refresh rate comes out at 90Hz and delivers extra smooth animations. Inside is a Kirin 9000 processor based on 5nm. It's Huawei's most powerful processor yet and features 5G. The built-in battery supports SuperCharge fast charging up to 66 watts wired and 50 watts wirelessly. Optionally, you can also use the Mate 40 series with a pen, but that so-called 'M-Pen 2' must be purchased separately.
EMUI 11 and HMS
Huawei announces its new EMUI 11 together with the Mate 40 Pro and Mate 40 Pro+. This proprietary UI on top of Android has improved privacy features and a more intuitive interface. As usual at Huawei, Google services and apps such as the Play Store, YouTube and GMail are not available. Huawei uses alternatives, which makes it a bit more difficult but not impossible to use. EMUI 11 has close integration with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) which is a replacement for Google Mobile Services. The Huawei Mate 40 Pro will be available in stores from 12 November in the colors Mystic Silver and Black. The recommended retail price is a hefty €1,119.99.
