For many users, Huawei phones have created such a niche in mobile photography that it is hard to use another phone even with the lack of Google apps in new Huawei models like the recently launched P40 Pro .

Is Google Play Store still essential on an Android phone?

Spectacular good looks; Outstanding cameras; Great battery life; A fast performer

Huawei relentlessly pushes design and performance with the P40 series – and the P40 Pro is the pick of the bunch, but as the Chinese company is still troubled by a trade war with the US, a lack of Google services continues to blight things.

The way I see it, Huawei’s P40 Pro (and, of course the P40 Pro+) have one standout feature that they absolutely must nail . One thing that they must do better above all else otherwise—at least, at this moment—I don’t really see a reason to pick any of the P40s over its competition.

Huawei has once again raised the bar for smartphone image quality, with the new P40 Pro taking the top spot for front camera performance in our database. Its reconfigured dual front camera setup, with a high- resolution 32MP primary module and dedicated IR sensor for improved bokeh and autofocus...

Accurate exposure on faces and wide dynamic range; Generally accurate white balance and pleasant skin tone rendering; High detail in outdoor and indoor shots; Well-controlled noise; Good depth estimation and natural blur gradient in bokeh shots; Accurate white balance and low noise when using flash,...

Slight autofocus instabilities indoors and in low light; First face out of focus in group selfies; Highlight clipping sometimes visible; Color quantization visible in low light; Fusion artifacts sometimes visible in high dynamic scenes; Strong loss of detail in low light; Skin tones slightly...

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

If someone thought Huawei was done after Google cut them off - they were wrong. The Mate 30 and the P40 series are here to prove that there is a life after Google, and it's not as bad as you might think initially.

Eye-catchy curved design, water-proof body; Excellent high-res 90Hz OLED screen; Flagship-grade sustained performance; Dependable battery life, blazing-fast charging; Excellent photo quality day and night across all cameras; Top-notch selfies.

The Huawei P40 Pro has a great smartphone camera that delivers impressively high-quality images in conditions that other cameras would struggle. However, the current situation between Google and Huawei means that you can't use many of the apps you'd take for granted on other phones.

Excellent performance in the default settings; High-quality video with good stabilisation even in 4K mode; Superb night-mode that delivers sharp images in challenging conditions

Limited range of apps available; The longest digital zoom settings are best avoided

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.

Yet again Huawei has squeezed oodles of clever tech into a classy, glassy deisgn. A new sensor along with all the additional camera tech, including some astounding neural processing, really takes things to the next level. However, for those not willing to go through the rigmarole of sideloading services – the P40 Pro is not going to be an option right now.