Here is why I nonetheless maintain this previous Android 10 cellphone in my again pocket

I’ve been feeling fairly nostalgic these days, particularly for previous digicam telephones. Final month, I praised the Nokia 9 PureView for its distinctive digicam setup that makes each shot an journey. I’ve additionally revisited the LG G4, a cellphone that sparked my love for images. Nonetheless, there’s yet another older Android digicam cellphone I nonetheless carry round every time attainable.

In its prime, the HUAWEI P30 Professional was the most effective Android cellphone cash might purchase. Positive, that’s simply my opinion, however loads of proof helps it. It was sturdy and comparatively compact in comparison with as we speak’s telephones. It had easy but enticing styling, quick efficiency, and glorious battery life.

After 5 years as my loyal each day driver, its age began displaying. The battery well being was declining, and I acquired its final replace in mid-2023. It’s nonetheless caught on Android 10, and there’s no hope of recent software program variations or safety upgrades.

I needed to improve, albeit reluctantly. The cellphone to fill that void was the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE. Our overview of the 2024 Fan Version cellphone was constructive, and my expertise has been equally strong. Regardless of the poor battery life, mediocre show, and heavy footprint, it’s a succesful improve that will likely be supported for years. I even have a Pixel 8, which I really like for its small measurement and swift operation.

Importantly, each units are succesful pocket cameras in their very own proper. I’ve had countless enjoyable capturing road scenes and landscapes with the Pixel 8, whereas the Galaxy excels as a point-and-shoot portrait digicam for household and associates. Nonetheless, each telephones lag behind the P30 Professional in a single vital side: zoom.

It could be half a decade older than the Samsung and Google telephones I changed it with, however the HUAWEI nonetheless outperforms each, grabbing objects a lot farther away and bringing them even nearer to me. On paper, the 8MP 5x optical and 50x digital periscope lens appears modest and outdated, however I miss it dearly when the cellphone isn’t inside attain.

This sense was significantly evident throughout a latest street journey. I often toss just a few telephones in my bag earlier than heading off on adventures, and this time I introduced the Galaxy, Pixel, and PureView alongside. After a lot of the go to was spent capturing ground-level topics, I turned my view to the highest of a constructing the place a raptor was perched. I grabbed the Samsung — the one cellphone with a devoted zoom lens — and zoomed. Regardless of its 3x optical and 30x digital zoom, the cellphone couldn’t deliver me shut sufficient to my avian topic. It quickly flew off, and I regretted leaving the P30 Professional at house.

Spending much less time with the P30 Professional has made me notice how important periscope capabilities are for me on a smartphone, and never only for images. Capturing tighter pictures of distant, unapproachable fauna or flora will increase the chance of getting an correct hit in a chook or plant identification app. Utilizing Lens or Circle to Search to determine different objects is less complicated too when used by way of Google Images on my main cellphone. Longer zoom provides extra utility, which is indispensable for my cellphone utilization habits.

I’ve since realized my lesson. I maintain the P30 Professional with me simply in case I want it. Regardless of its age, it nonetheless works nice as a backup cellphone, regardless of its rising points. I haven’t reset it, so all my apps and recordsdata are nonetheless saved safely on it. Its 256GB storage financial institution additionally is useful for offline file storage.

Nonetheless, my latest experiences with out the cellphone have taught me two worthwhile classes. First, I can’t think about shopping for a cellphone sooner or later with out a succesful zoom lens. Positive, I might and possibly ought to use my 70-300mm zoom lens on my D3400 extra usually, however I don’t all the time have the comparatively cumbersome DSLR digicam with me. Comfort comes at a value.

Secondly, older {hardware} usually surpasses fashionable innovation. The P30 Professional is proof of that. I wouldn’t have thought-about upgrading if the cellphone nonetheless acquired common updates. Now that it’s now not my each day driver, I don’t care if it’s operating an older model of Android. However, due to its stellar attain, it greater than earns its place amongst my present units.