Huawei P20 Pro: Camera review

The best camera performance on a smartphone right now? We give all four of the P20 Pro's cameras a workout

Digital Camera World Verdict

It won't replace your DSLR or mirrorless camera, but the P20 Pro's unique camera setup and the quality of its output mean that it shines as photographic tool.

Pros

  • +

    Effective image stabilisation

  • +

    Capable of excellent detail

  • +

    Optical aberrations processed out of JPEGs

Cons

  • -

    Fake bokeh effect not perfect

  • -

    Some noise reduction/sharpening issues

  • -

    Slight lag when shooting Raw files

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Most smartphones released over the past few years have all had one thing in common, namely a strong focus on imaging. Whether it's in response to the gigantic Shot-on-iPhone posters and general camera-focused marketing Apple has used for its last few generations of devices, or just because it's the next obvious area of focus now that the remainder of the modern smartphones spec sheet is so capable, if you're a smartphone manufacturer that wants to be taken seriously, you can't afford to overlook your device's imaging capabilities.

Huawei is clearly aware of this, having now collaborated with Leica for the past couple of years on its higher-end devices. All of these have attracted attention for reasons beyond this partnership, but its latest P20 Pro was launched with decidedly more fanfare – and targeted right at photographers.

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Matt Golowczynski

The former editor of Digital Camera World, "Matt G" has spent the bulk of his career working in or reporting on the photographic industry. For two and a half years he worked in the trade side of the business with Jessops and Wex, serving as content marketing manager for the latter. 

Switching streams he also spent five years as a journalist, where he served as technical writer and technical editor for What Digital Camera before joining DCW, taking on assignments as a freelance writer and photographer in his own right. He currently works for SmartFrame, a specialist in image-streaming technology and protection.