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The Banned Huawei Mate 30 Pro: Best Phone You Shouldn't Buy!

Marques Brownlee@mkbhd4.1M viewsJan 3, 20209:29
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YT
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4.1M
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21M
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Promos

The Mate 30 Pro is the best phone I'd never recommend. The Huawei Ban Explained: youtu.be Installing Google services on Mate 30 Pro: xda-developers.com MKBHD Merch: shop.mkbhd.com Video Gear I use: kit.co Tech I'm using right now: amazon.com Intro Track: Playlist of MKBHD Intro music: goo.gl ~ twitter.com @MKBHD @MKBHD

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AI OverviewDefault language

The Huawei Mate 30 Pro is presented as an exceptional piece of hardware that stands out for its bold design and standout display, but its software predicament heavily clouds the overall experience. The creator highlights a dramatic waterfall OLED display with extreme curvature that gives the phone a futuristic, boxy silhouette, a unique and memorable touch in the hand. He notes the practical oddities like a single hardware button located toward the back of the device and a side-tap volume control using the screen surface, which, while novel, proves unreliable at times. The hardware is praised for its solid build, large 4500 mAh battery, fast charging, and a capable camera system featuring a 40 MP main sensor with OIS, a 40 MP ultra wide, a 8 MP telephoto with OIS, and a 3D time-of-flight sensor, all backed by 8 GB of RAM and UFS 3.0 storage. The phone runs on a high-end Kirin 990 chip, delivering smooth performance for gaming and multitasking, with strong emphasis on camera versatility and overall speed. However, despite the hardware strengths, the user repeatedly stresses that software is the real bottleneck, since the Mate 30 Pro ships without Google Play Services. He explains that absence of Google apps and services makes the device largely unusable outside of a Chinese market context, with limited app availability and a heavy reliance on sideloading or region-locked app stores. The verdict is clear: for Huawei devices in markets like the US, the Mate 30 Pro is a top-tier piece of hardware that cannot realize its potential due to the software ecosystem and ongoing export restrictions. The video closes with a broader point about the importance of software optimization and integration with hardware, emphasizing that a great device can still fail without a functional software experience. Viewers are left with the takeaway that hardware quality alone is insufficient if the software experience is not on par, and that future Huawei phones will need a stronger software strategy to truly compete. The creator signs off with a reminder to consider both hardware and software balance when evaluating flagship smartphones.

Topics · technology · mobile_phones · hardware_design · software_platforms · video_reviews

Questions answered

What are the standout hardware features of the Huawei Mate 30 Pro?
The Mate 30 Pro features a waterfall display with a very steep curve, a boxy design, a large 4500 mAh battery with fast charging, an optical in-display fingerprint sensor, IP68 rating, and a quad camera array including a 40 MP main camera with OIS, a 40 MP ultra-wide, an 8 MP 3x telephoto with OIS, and a 3D time-of-flight sensor.
Why does the video suggest the Mate 30 Pro is not recommended?
Because it ships without Google Play Services, limiting app availability and usability outside regions where Google apps are available, making the software experience significantly weaker than the hardware suggests.