Update: Huawei P40 Pro might flaunt 10X zoom lens, Galaxy S11+ alleged to come with 5X zoom
The Huawei P40 Pro is expected to once again surprise us with the longest zoom lens ever put on a mainstream flagship phone: leaks now say that the P40 Pro will feature a 10X periscope zoom lens, allowing you to zoom further with more clarity. Last year, the P30 Pro raised the bar with a 5X periscope zoom lens, a feature that Samsung is expected to implement in its 2020 Galaxy S11.
The sensors for the telephoto cameras will also be different, and all of this information comes from Samsung leaker @IceUniverse:
- Galaxy S11+ 48MP telephoto camera, periscope, 5X optical zoom
- Huawei P40 Pro 16MP telephoto camera, periscope, 10X optical zoom
***Update: Another source has just confirmed that the Huawei P40 Pro is indeed expected to use this brand new 10X zoom periscope camera system. This second report comes from no other than leak superstar Ming-Chi Kuo (via MacRumors), one of the most reliable sources we have had in the last few years.
In a research note with TF International Securities, Kuo says the P40 Pro is expected to launch in the first half of 2020 and adds that the trend of improved optical zoom cameras will extend to more high-end phones next year. And that's about as specific as the report gets: we don't have information about the exact 2020 flagship models that might get such hyper-zoom optics, but we will be on the look-out for news and update you as soon as new information becomes available.***
As much fun as it sounds to have a 10X optical zoom lens, zooming so far away might also be a bit of an overkill. Surely, you can capture some cool shots of birds or maybe sports, but for everyday photography, the application of such a long lens are not that many. We are also wondering whether Huawei has done some special work on the camera to ensure the clarity is maintained for zoom shots in the 1X to 10X range, but that is a question we don't have an answer to yet.
New design, old problems with US Gov't
Just a couple of days ago, we saw the first leaked photos of the Huawei P40 Pro and the design definitely stands out. Huawei uses a slightly curved glass not just at the sides of the phone, but also at the top and the bottom. This means that you have the aluminum frame protect the phone at the edges and this peculiarity should also be reflected in the actual cases for the phone.
Under the hood, the P40 Pro is expected to be powered by the Huawei's own Kirin 990 chip, the same one found on the Mate 30 Pro. And since the new P40 Pro is also expected to have a 5G version, the battery is expected to grow in size to support the demands of a 5G phone and we might see a battery cell as big as 5500mAh. Fast charging via an even faster, 50-watt wall charger is in the cards and wireless charging support is also planned.
The biggest question surrounding this new flagship phone by Huawei, however, remains the company's problems with the US Government that ban it from including Google services on its latest phones. A phone with no Google Play Store, no YouTube, no Gmail, no Google Maps and the rest is pretty much useless and Huawei itself has chosen not to sell such a phone in Western Europe. So far, it seems that there will be no deal that would change that for Huawei by March 2020 when the P40 Pro is expected to launch.
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