Huawei P40 Lite vs Huawei P30 Lite: differences

The Huawei P40 Lite is the natural evolution of the previous Huawei P30 Lite, and in this comparison we are going to review what differences exist, what has been improved and what remains the same, to see if it is worth taking the leap.

We have already introduced you to the Huawei P40 Lite specifications in depth and we have also given you the details of the Huawei P30 Lite, but there are some important differences between them that are worth digging into.

Especially because the P30 Lite, launched in 2019, can be found at a discount compared to the P40 Lite (from 2020), and in the mid-range it is very important to value the specifications in relation to what we pay for them.

Evolved display and design

At an external level, the first thing that stands out is that the P30 Lite places the selfie camera in a mini notch, which was the standard at the time of its launch, while the P40 Lite has the camera embedded in the screen, through a small hole in the panel that Huawei is increasingly using in more Models.

The two phones opt for IPS screens, with the same resolution, but different dimensions. These are the differences:

1. P30 Lite: 6.15-inch FHD+ (90% front-facing) with mini notch.
2. P40 Lite: 6.4-inch FHD+ (90.6% front-facing) with embedded selfie camera.

On a physical level, smartphones are quite similar. The two include USB C port, 3.5mm jack and bottom speaker, so physical connectivity is identical.

In addition, their construction is similar. Huawei opts for glass finishes and a metal side frame. The P30 Lite is available in black, white, blue and mother-of-pearl, while the P40 Lite is available in black, green and pink.

In biometric identification we do find key differences: the P30 Lite has a rear fingerprint reader, quite common, while the P40 Lite uses a side fingerprint reader, located on the right edge.

Perhaps it is Huawei's most controversial change, since side fingerprint readers have never been very popular, and in the middle of 2020 it would not have hurt to mount an ultrasonic sensor under the screen, increasingly common in the mid-range.

Any of the terminals offers facial recognition, using the selfie camera and without specific depth sensors, so security is simply correct, but does not reach the level of the dedicated sensors.

On the other hand, Huawei increased the screen size of its most recent mid-range, and that has translated into greater dimensions and weight, which we can see here:

1. P30 Lite: 152, 9 x 72, 7 x 7, 4mm and 159g.
2. P40 Lite: 159, 2 x 76, 3 x 8.7mm, 183g.

Jump from 3 to 4 cameras

In the rear cameras we discovered one of the key differences between both smartphones. Three of the sensors offer the same features, but Huawei has added a fourth camera for macro mode, that is, for photos a few centimeters from the lens.

Here are the camera configurations:

1. P30 Lite: 48 MP f/1.8 (main) + 8 MP (ultra wide angle) + 2 MP (bokeh).
2. P40 Lite: 48 MP f/1.8 (main) + 8 MP (ultra-wide angle) + 2 MP (macro) + 2MP (bokeh).

When it comes to selfies, the P30 Lite has a 24 MP f/2.0 front camera, while the new Huawei P40 Lite the selfie camera is 16 MP f/2.0.

As we already mentioned, the front camera goes from being located in a mini notch to being embedded in a small perforation in the upper left area of ​​the terminal.

But it is not the only thing that attracts attention in the design of Huawei's cameras. The P30 Lite arranged the rear sensors in a row, while the P40 Lite places them in a kind of square elevation, very much in the style of the iPhone 11.

Processor, memory and connectivity

The purely technical aspect of smartphones always evolves with each generation, especially since Huawei develops its own Kirin processors.

Although we continue with 8-core chips, it changes its configuration and skips to a more compact manufacturing process, which allows increase performance and reduce chip consumption:

1. P30 Lite: Kirin 710 (12 nm) with 8 cores (4 x A73 @ 2.2 GHz + 4 x A53 @ 1.7 GHz) and Mali-G51 GPU.
2. P40 Lite: Kirin 810 (7 nm) with 8 cores (2 x A76 @ 2.27 GHz + 6 x A55 @ 1.88 GHz) and Mali-G52 MP6 GPU.

At the memory level, Huawei has increased RAM, while maintaining 128 GB of storage, a figure more than enough for the mid-range.

There will be differences if we want to expand the internal space, as we will have to buy Huawei NM Cards for the P40 Lite, instead of the usual microSD.

1. P30 Lite: 4 GB RAM + 128 GB storage (microSD card optional).
2. P40 Lite: 6 GB RAM + 128 GB storage (SD NM card optional).

Regarding connectivity, we continue with 4G networks, as 5G is still far from mid-range. We do see improvements in Bluetooth, and compatible geopositioning networks are expanding, but it is not a section where Huawei has made many changes:

1. P30 Lite: 4G/LTE, WiFi ac dual band, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC and positioning (GPS and GLONASS).

2. P40 Lite: 4G/LTE, WiFi ac dual band, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC and positioning (GPS,GLONASS, QZSS and Galileo).

Battery and fast charging

Huawei has chosen to make the successor to the P30 Lite bigger, so it's only logical that it fits inside a larger battery. Although it should feed a larger screen, in principle it should provide us with greater autonomy.

These are the differences between the mobiles:

1. P30 Lite: 3,340 mAh with 18W charging.
2. P40 Lite: 4,200 mAh with 40 W charging.

The key: Android with or without Google

The most delicate point of the comparison is the operating system. The Huawei P30 Lite has Android 9 Pie, in its standard version, including the Play Store, Google Play Services and other applications of the search engine brand (YouTube, Gmail, Maps, Drive…)

In addition, the update to Android 10 is already available for some users, and Spanish units (and other countries) should receive it shortly.

For his part, the Huawei P40 Lite is one of those harmed by the US commercial veto on Huawei, so has not been certified by Google. In it we will use the AppGallery store, Google services are replaced by Huawei Mobile Services and the company's applications must be installed by our account.

Of course, the P40 Lite includes Android 10 under the EMUI 10 customization layer, thanks to the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) the Chinese firm has access to most of the operating system code.

These limitations can be a problem for less advanced users, since popular apps like WhatsApp or Facebook have to be downloaded externally. Of course, the same case occurred with the latest high-end brand, and we already saw that Google Play Services can be installed on the Huawei Mate 30 Pro.

In the end, the key differences between the two phones are that the Huawei P40 Lite offers superior hardware, but the P30 Lite has an Android version with Google apps, something important if the user does not have many knowledge of technology.

Choosing one model or another also depends on the price, the P30 Lite has already been reduced, while the P40 Lite is more current, so its cost is higher. Although both the Huawei P30 Lite and the P40 Lite are good phones, the decision depends on our budget and whether we need Google services to come pre-installed.

What do you think of these smartphones? Are you convinced by Huawei's commitment to the mid-range?