Huawei’s P40 Pro (£899, or around $1,100) reminds me of the ouroboros, the snake eating its own tail. It has one of the most compelling screens I’ve ever seen on a phone, and a low-light camera that makes it possible to take photos even in pitch-black situations, all housed in a body that’s sleek and comfortable to hold. But since the US/China trade war stopped Google from providing Huawei access to Google Mobile Services, the P40 Pro is really only a device for hobbyists or those looking to exit Google’s ecosystem completely. We have first impressions to share after spending some time with the phone in London.Design, Display, and Durability The P40 Pro comes in either black or silver frost, with a ceramic back that feels really comfortable in the hand. The faux-leather finish on the Oppo Find X2 Pro provides better grip, but to me, the P40 Pro looks sleeker. Turn it around and you’ll find a 6.58-inch, 2,640-by-1200-pixel OLED screen, which is simply fantastic. It's brighter and ...

The Huawei P40 Pro 5G is an impressive smartphone with a fantastic screen, but you won't find it in the US anytime soon.

Gorgeous screen; Impressive camera night mode

Not available in North America; Light on storage and memory for a flagship phone; Some camera exposure and color balance quirks; No Google apps or Play Store

The Huawei P40 Pro refines last year’s P30 Pro to near perfection. It takes the P series’ main focus, the camera, and innovates in a big way — literally. With a massive camera sensor, 90Hz screen, and updated internals, there’s a lot to love about the P40 Pro.

Crafted to near perfection 90Hz display is a step forward Superb camera system Excellent ergonomics

No GMS support is a killer AppGallery is limited Fancy bezels don’t quite work

“The Huawei P40 Pro has the best camera in the business, but many will find getting the apps they need quite difficult.”

Superb design and comfort; Sublime OLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate; Brilliant; versatile camera; Long battery life

No Google services or apps; Audio isn't great

When it came to hardware, Huawei was not stingy and has put everything that the company had on its shelves or could develop from scratch into this device. Also in terms of the operating system, EMUI 10.1, you get a package that has already been evaluated a million times.

Beautiful design; Great 90 Hz display; Current Android; Very good camera; Long battery life

Huawei Mobile Services is not yet a full replacement for Google Mobile Services; App library still limited and confusing

Can't use Google apps,

Everything is great

It really is to bad that Huawei is facing the current obstacles they are with the Google restrictions currently in effect. The Huawei P40 Pro is an outstanding phone from design and performance to (especially) the camera.

Sleek design, 90Hz OLED screen, Outstanding camera, 5G support, Great battery life, Reverse charging (wireless power share), Huawei Histen sound effects work well, Can get most Android apps to work one way or another, Includes clear case and earbuds

No Google Play Store/GMS, AppGallery needs more popular apps, Uses proprietary Nano Memory card for storage expansion, Front camera cutout isn't ideal for some games, Canadian price/availability unknown

In a different 2020, I could be telling you that the Huawei P40 Pro is one of the best phones you could buy. After all, it sees the Chinese telecoms giant at the height of its hardware powers, delivering a device that performs extremely well and leaves little off its spec sheet.

Technically excellent camera; Excellent curved display; Strong performance and battery life

No Google apps or services; Anemic app ecosystem outside of China; Poor speaker; no headphone jack

We can’t get enough of excellent hardware. Tangible, measurable advances in technology are applauded by consumers and reviewers alike. But the smartphone is more than just a fancy puzzle of pricey parts.

Genius phone built Superb camera Don't care about GMS!!!