The Huawei Mate 40 Pro is the new camera king, for now

Huawei's P and Mate-series smartphones have always been known for their excellent camera performance, and the Mate 40 series is no different, according to DxOMark. The French website has already published its review of the Mate 40 Pro, putting the new flagship at the top of its main and selfie camera leaderboards. Xiaomi had knocked Huawei from top spot with the Mi 10 Ultra, but the Mate 40 Pro cements Huawei's position as king of smartphone cameras - in the opinion of DxOMark.

The Mate 40 Pro has three rear-facing cameras, despite appearances to the contrary. The main camera is a 50 MP sensor with an f/1.9 aperture and a 23 mm equivalent lens, along with a sensor size of 1/1.28-inches. Huawei has complemented this with a 20 MP ultra-wide (f/1.8, 18 mm equivalent, 1/1.54-inch sensor) and a 12 MP telephoto camera (f/3.4, 125 mm equivalent, 1/3.56-inch sensor). Meanwhile, a 13 MP camera sits up front (f/2.4, 18 mm equivalent, 1/2.8 inch sensor) beside a ToF sensor for depth of field approximations.

In short, the Mate 40 Pro optimises the camera experience that the P40 Pro already offers. According to DxOMark, Huawei has improved the cameras in several areas, including better dynamic range - especially in low light. The website still has its faults with the camera setup of the Mate 40 Pro, not least the comparatively narrow field of view of its ultra-wide-angle camera. Similarly, Huawei has omitted optical image stabilisation from the Mate 40 Pro, something that the company reserves for the Mate 40 Pro Plus. However, the Mate 40 Pro still simulates bokeh effects well and keeps image noise to a minimum. The front-facing camera cannot quite match the quality that the rear-facing cameras do, but it shines across the board with few faults. The Mate 40 Pro will be a pricey affair when it comes up for pre-order though, with Huawei charging €899 at launch.